CJID hosts four-day media and development conference in Abuja

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has begun the third edition of its West Africa Media and Development Conference.

The event is slated to begin from November 24 to 27 in Abuja.

The four-day event, with the theme “Reimagining Democracy, Development and Data for the Next Decade”, will bring together journalists, policymakers, researchers, diplomats, civil society leaders, and technology experts.

The sessions will cover topics including democratic resilience, media sustainability, climate and extractive sector governance, digital rights, food security, fact-checking, and the rising influence of artificial intelligence on public life.

Several ambassadors, development partners, and senior experts are expected to attend, with goodwill messages from diplomatic missions representing up to 20 countries.

The keynote address will be delivered by Juana Kweitel, vice president and chief programmes officer at Luminate, followed by a fireside chat on democracy, civic space, and data governance.

Speakers from ECOWAS, Open Society Foundations, NRGI, CIPE, Africa Check, Channels Television, Premium Times, The Cable, and other media and governance institutions will participate in more than 20 scheduled sessions.

Akintunde Babatunde, CJID executive director, said the conference comes at a critical time for democracy and public-interest media in Africa.

He said the conference will allow for robust discussion on democratic backsliding, shrinking civic space, and the growing influence of Big Tech and AI, alongside opportunities for innovation and resilience across the continent.

The conference will also feature the launch of three DAIDAC research studies on information disorder, the presentation of the 2025 CJID Openness Index, showcases of emerging innovations, and the annual awards recognising excellence in journalism.

“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,” Babatunde said.

“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.”

The week will conclude with the West Africa Journalism Awards, celebrating outstanding investigative reporting, fact-checking, climate journalism, and campus journalism across the region.

Babatunde said the event will provide a platform for reflection on the pressures facing media and governance while spotlighting solutions emerging from Africa.