Abidjan hosted the opening of the 16th General Assembly of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) (http://www.UAR-AUB.org) on June 19, 2025. The ceremony, held under the high patronage of Mr. Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, brought together a plethora of distinguished guests, including ambassadors, directors-general, ministers, academics, media professionals, students, and civil society members from around the world.
Under the impactful theme “Developing Media: Strategies for Financial and Technological Resilience, and Innovative Content,“ this assembly promises crucial discussions for the future of the African media landscape.
In his inaugural speech, Prime Minister Mambé highlighted the essential role of media in societal transformation: “Media represents a true opportunity for our country. We are counting on you to preserve and strengthen this asset, through the consultation framework offered to you. It is from this dialogue that the right answers to our questions will emerge.” This was a clear call for collaboration and the search for collective solutions.
For Cléophas Barore, President of the AUB Executive Council, the funding challenge is omnipresent: “The financing of production and broadcasting remains a daily struggle. These challenges are marked by resource scarcity, fierce competition from new media, information multinationals, and many others.” This observation underscores the urgent need for innovation in a constantly evolving media environment.
Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, for his part, urged broadcasters to embrace new media to better capture the African audience. “With the AUB, your Union, I urge you to work tirelessly to sustainably retain the African audience, in its diversity, by notably taking into account new communication and broadcasting channels such as social media, streaming, OTT, and podcasts, by innovating and valuing local content, our historical, cultural, tourist, and socio-economic values. I commit you to this!” he affirmed, emphasizing the importance of innovation and the promotion of local content in the face of information globalization.
The productive first day also featured a visit to the exhibition stands, offering participants the opportunity to discover the latest innovations in content creation and to forge partnerships.
The 16th AUB General Assembly continues on June 20, 2025, with the Union’s statutory proceedings and the Awards ceremony.
Grégoire NDJAKA
Director General
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union of Broadcasting (AUB).
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