The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) organized a high-level Media-Security Dialogue at the Lancaster Kumasi City Hotel on February 19, 2026, aimed at fostering stronger collaboration between media professionals and security agencies in Ghana.
The forum served as a strategic platform to address the growing friction between the two sectors and to establish a framework for mutual cooperation. Dora Boamah Mawutor, MFWA’s Senior Director and Head of Programmes, opened the event by emphasizing the urgency of protecting the media landscape, which was further underscored by a detailed presentation on recent data regarding security incidents and threats directed at journalists across the country.
A central feature of the dialogue involved a panel of veteran journalists, including Nicholas Osei-Wusu, Ohemeng Tawiah, Gideon Nana Peprah, and Erastus Asare Donkor, who shared firsthand accounts of their professional encounters with security personnel.
Facilitated by Millicent Safo-Adu, the session highlighted the lived realities of reporting in high-pressure environments and the specific challenges media workers face in the field. Security agency representatives responded with remarks on the necessity of accountability, while Dr. Gilbert Tietaah of the University of Ghana delivered a keynote address framing the safety of journalists as a non-negotiable pillar for transparent governance and the preservation of democracy.
The event concluded with interactive breakout sessions where participants drafted recommendations to counter impunity for attacks against the press and improve inter-agency communication.
This initiative is part of the MFWA’s broader project on countering corruption through accountability journalism, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
The project is being implemented by GIZ Ghana in partnership with the Ministry of Finance to ensure a more resilient and free expression environment in Ghana.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
