By Stephen Asante
Accra, Jan. 26, GNA – The Ghana News Agency’s cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) is an impetus for professional development and agency relations, Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manager, GNA, has said.
The partnership sets the stage for innovations, especially in news ideas, experiences, exchange programmes on modern news trends, facts-checking and the use of Artificial Intelligence technology in news development.
The GNA-MAP cooperation agreement was signed recently on the sidelines of the Eighth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Salé, Morocco.

Some other participating news agencies were the Burkina Faso Information Agency, Gabon Press Agency, Liberia News Agency, Mali News Agency, Sao Tome and Principe Press Agency, Senegalese Press Agency, and Sierra Leone News Agency.
They signed similar agreements with the MAP to consolidate professional relations through the exchange of experiences, expertise, training, visits and editorial services (newsletters, photos, audio, videos and computer graphics).
Mr Owusu expressed satisfaction with the strategic relationship between the GNA and MAP, affirming the Management’s resolve to sustaining the gains made.
The ties had served as a platform for the training of journalists in a considerable number of areas over the years, encompassing sports, gender, socio-economic and news development.

The GNA was established on March 5, 1957 on the eve of Ghana’s independence, charged with the dissemination of truthful unbiased news.
It was the first news agency to be established in sub-Saharan Africa, with the vision to becoming the preferred source of news and information on Ghana, Africa and the World.
The Agency was part of a comprehensive communication policy that sought to harness the information arm of the state to build a viable, united and cohesive nation-state.
In line with its mandate, it has been operating in the unique role of mobilising the citizens for nation building, economic and social development, national unity and integration.

On the Eighth FAAPA General Assembly, themed: “African Press Agencies as Vehicle for Promoting the Continent’s Health Sovereignty,” participants discussed ways to promote and strengthen African health sovereignty to better cope with future shocks.
The two-day Assembly brought together directors general of the various African news agencies, media and health experts, as well as distinguished personalities from different backgrounds to reflect on the role they must play within the 21st century.
It also marked the 10th anniversary of FAAPA’s establishment, mirroring the future of African news agencies, with respect to their diversity and unique characteristics.
GNA