A Ghana-based migration-focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Media Response, has inaugurated a nine-member Project Steering Committee to oversee its regional initiative on reframing narratives about free movement and migration in West Africa.
The committee, which was inaugurated on Thursday, at the Information Services Department (ISD) Head Office in Accra will provide strategic guidance for the project’s implementation across various regions in Ghana over the next 14 months.
The committee will also ensure that the activities of the project align with National, Regional, and ECOWAS migration and media policies while promoting ownership, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement across target regions.
Moreover, members will ensure that institutional coordination is strengthened among key stakeholders, support visibility and outreach efforts, help strengthen partnerships, and contribute to monitoring progress and addressing emerging challenges during implementation.
The initiative, titled “Reframing Narratives on Free Movement and Migration in West Africa,” is being implemented with support from FMM West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union, and the International Organization for Migration.
The project aims to promote accurate, balanced, and human-centred public discourse on migration and free movement within West Africa, addressing persistent misinformation, negative stereotypes, and limited public understanding of migration dynamics, particularly regarding the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol and regional integration.
It will strengthen the capacity of journalists, media practitioners, and public communication officers to report on migration responsibly and accurately.
Activities include targeted training workshops in three regions, namely, Western, Volta, and Upper East, alongside hands-on digital storytelling and video-blogging sessions.
The initiative also features media engagements such as radio discussions and public awareness campaigns, with sustained collaboration planned with media institutions, academia, and migration authorities.
The project emphasizes ethical, evidence-based reporting and the use of real-life human stories to help the public understand migration beyond crisis-driven narratives.
It also includes monitoring, documentation, and dissemination of migration-related media content to track progress and impact.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting, the Executive Director of Media Response, Samuel Dodoo, said journalists and communicators play an important role in shaping public perception.
The project, he noted, provides an opportunity to promote informed, factual, and people-centred narratives that support regional integration.
A member of the committee and Executive Council Member of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Abdul Rauf Mahama, commended Media Response for the clarity of purpose and commitment shown toward the success of the project.
He pledged to work with other members to support the effective implementation and sustainable outcomes for the project.
Members of the Committee include Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Immigration Service, Deputy Commissioner of Immigration Maud Anima Quainoo, Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency, Mr George-Ramsey Benamba, and Deputy Chief Information Officer at the Information Services Department, Mr Samuel Antwi.
Others are Executive Member and National Treasurer of the Ghana Journalists Association, Ms Bertha Agyei, and National Convenor of the CSO Coalition on Migration Ghana, Mr Eric Boakye Peasah.
The committee also includes Mr Bala Ali of the Media Division of the ISD, Executive Council Member of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Mr Abdul Rauf Mahama, Eastern Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency, Mr Dasmani Laary Issifu, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UNIMAC), Dr Stephen Tindi.
ISD
