Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged the creation of a pan-African media powerhouse to help unite the continent and take control of how Africa is portrayed globally.
Speaking at the Broadcasting at the Crossroads forum hosted by the Africa Media Bureau in Accra on Friday, September 26, Kufuor stressed the urgent need for Africans to tell their own stories to reflect the continent’s true identity, challenges, and potential.
He proposed Accra as a possible hub for such a media agency, which he said could connect Africans across linguistic and regional divides while promoting cultural exchange, economic growth, and continental integration.
“If professional media people can establish a powerful agency, very African to tell African stories, not just political but economic, social, cultural, entertainment, trade, and industry, before long the African in Nigeria, Nairobi, or South Africa will feel more connected,” he said.
Kufuor lamented that Africa remains largely defined by external media, with narratives that often distort its image, fragment its identity, and slow its progress. He also criticised lingering colonial-era divisions that continue to separate Africans along linguistic lines.
The former President further highlighted Africa’s limited control over digital platforms despite rapid technological advancement, warning that without homegrown ownership and innovation, the continent risks falling behind in the global digital revolution.
