Ghanaian-American journalist and founder of TheAfricanDream.net, Oral Ofori, delivered a stirring address at the 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé, Togo, calling on Africa, and the continent’s governing bodies to reclaim Africa’s narrative from stereotypes, and encourage the continent to tell its own stories.
The congress was held under the auspices of the African Union (AU), and was formally endorsed by the AU through Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 848 (XXXVI) of the 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2023, aligning it with the AU’s “Decade of African Roots and the African Diaspora (2021-2031).”
The event, hosted by the Togolese government under the patronage of President Faure Gnassingbé, forms part of broader AU initiatives to promote Pan-Africanism, Agenda 2063, and Africa’s role in global governance, with involvement from AU institutions, member states, and the diaspora.
Speaking on the theme “Strategic Diplomacy and Communication – Positioning Africa as a Leading Actor in Its Own Narrative,” on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Mr Ofori reminded the congress that despite over 570 million internet users in Africa, the continent remains digitally colonised. He mentioned that the majority of the continent’s digital infrastructure is foreign-owned or foreign-controlled.
Mr Ofori with his speech called for a change, arguing that “Africa must invest in continental media networks, international broadcasting… Africans should tell African stories in global languages and through global channels. When we rely solely on external media, we give others the pen to write our history.”
He challenged African governments and the African Union to treat digital infrastructure with the same urgency as physical roads, ports, and railways under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “Africa must invest more in cultural exports, film funding, creative hubs, archival preservation, museum repatriation, and global partnerships,” he emphasised. Here is the link to full video of Mr. Ofori’s address: https://youtu.be/zb93LnW7au4?si
He concluded his speech with a wish for an improved African narrative, “An Africa where every young person feels represented, empowered, and connected. An Africa whose global image reflects its true potential and not outdated stereotypes.”
Mr Ofori was added to a panel in the congress’s first plenary session themed “The image of Africa in today’s world, issues, and challenges of promoting the African narrative”.
Moderated by former Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye, the panel featuring Eric Agnero, Tulu Omondi, Ms. Foreman Idita, and Ofori examined the persistently “degrading” global image of Africa, “an image which refers to extreme poverty, economic crises, cycles of structural adjustments, famine, bad governance, the multiplication of conflict zones, endemic violence, uncertain transitions.”
Photo – 9th Pan-African panellists (R-L): Oral Ofori, Ms. Foreman Idita, Mankeur Ndiaye, Eric Agnero, and Tulu Omondi / © 9th Pan-African Congress
The panellists identified diplomacy and strategic communication, cultural soft power, institutional strengthening, an independent African media ecosystem, and greater diaspora involvement as critical levers. “Make Africa a narrator and not a spectator and consumer,” Ms. Foreman Idita urged.
The 9th Pan-African Congress, hosted by Togo under the high patronage of President Faure Gnassingbé from 8 to 12 December 2025, is being held under the overarching theme “Renewal of Pan-Africanism and Africa’s role in the reform of multilateral institutions: mobilizing resources and reinventing itself to act”.
With representatives from over 40 African nations and the diaspora, the gathering continues until 13 December with discussions on youth empowerment, economic integration, and cultural renaissance.
Written by Abeeb Lekan Sodiq
