The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) will this week host the third edition of its West Africa Media and Development Conference in Abuja, bringing together journalists, policymakers, researchers, diplomats, civil society leaders and technology experts for four days of discussions on governance, development, and the information landscape.
The event will run from Monday, 24 November, to Wednesday, 27 November 2025, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, according to the programme released by the organisers.
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This year’s conference is themed “Reimagining Democracy, Development and Data for the Next Decade.” Sessions will focus on democratic resilience, media sustainability, climate and extractive sector governance, digital rights, food security, fact-checking and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on public life.
High-level attendance expected
Several ambassadors, development partners and senior experts have confirmed participation. Goodwill messages will come from diplomatic missions representing up to 20 countries are listed in the official agenda.
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The keynote will be delivered by Juana Kweitel, Vice President and Chief Programmes Officer at Luminate, followed by a fireside discussion on democracy, civic space and data governance.
More than twenty sessions are scheduled, with speakers from ECOWAS, Open Society Foundations (OSF), NRGI, CIPE, Africa Check, Channels Television, Premium Times, The Cable, and other media and governance institutions.
CJID outlines the stakes
Speaking ahead of the conference, Akintunde Babatunde, executive director of CJID, said the gathering comes at a time of major shifts for governance and public-interest media in Africa.
“The world is entering a decisive decade for democracy, development and civic life, and Africa stands at a crossroads. Democratic backsliding is accelerating, with coups, constitutional manipulation and shrinking civic space undermining trust. Regional cooperation is under strain as ECOWAS marks 50 years amid legitimacy crises following the AES exits.”
“At the same time, Big Tech and AI companies now shape information, governance and economies with little accountability. Media ecosystems are collapsing under donor cuts, declining advertising and political repression, while misinformation distorts how young people see themselves, how families make health choices and how citizens engage politically.”
“Yet Africa is also a space of innovation and resilience, from grassroots media regaining trust to civic-tech platforms opening governments, researchers generating new data and national AI strategies shaping global debates. The conference is designed to help us think clearly about the next decade and the role the media must play.”
According to the organisers, this year’s conference will examine the state of democracy, governance and civic space in Africa; explore how health, climate change and development intersect; interrogate the sustainability of media organisations amid financial pressures and geopolitical shifts; and assess the growing impact of AI and Big Tech on rights, economies and democratic processes. The event will also feature the launch of three DAIDAC research studies on information disorder, the presentation of the 2025 CJID Openness Index, opportunities for partners and researchers to showcase emerging innovations, and the annual awards recognising excellence in journalism.
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The week will conclude with the West Africa Journalism Awards, recognising excellence in investigative reporting, fact-checking, climate journalism and campus journalism across the region.
Organisers say the conference will serve as a space for reflection on the pressures facing media, governance and public institutions, while also spotlighting emerging solutions from across the continent.
Further details and the full programme are available on the CJID conference website.
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