FIFA backs AFP initiative to hone African football media

Football’s world ruling body FIFA has endorsed an ambitious programme that aims to fine-tune the skills of over 300 African football reporters from 46 African countries in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup.

Part of FIFA’s “Win in Africa with Africa” development programme, the initiative’s wider aims are to provide mid-career training to more than 300 reporters and photographers across the continent.

Launched after South Africa won the right to host the 2010 World Cup, the courses will be run by the AFP Foundation, the international training arm of Agence France-Presse, one of the three global news agencies, and co-financed by the European Union.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said: “Media in Africa will play a key role to link all people of the continent with the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“Consequently, FIFA is particularly proud to help by providing high quality journalism courses for African media in association with the AFP Foundation and the European Commission.”

The programme will be run in four languages – English, French, Arabic and Portuguese, with the first courses held at Diambars Football Institute about 70 kilometres south-west of Dakar.

Facilities have been made available by eight national associations in Africa which have agreed to support the programme, with French-speaking reporters from Senegal, Ivory Coast and Togo set to begin the first week-long session on May 18.

“This is the most ambitious project undertaken by the AFP Foundation since it was set up in July 2007 and it gives me great satisfaction,” said AFP chief executive, Pierre Louette.

“We hope that our training courses will not only enhance their professional skills but also create lasting friendships.”

EU Development Commissioner, Louis Michel, said: “Training of journalists is an important first step towards the World Cup in 2010.

“This is part of the Commission’s efforts to ensure the image of a modern Africa is more widely known. It is also a symbol of the strategic relationship being built between the two continents of Europe and Africa.”

Other sessions will take place this month and in early June in Abuja, Cairo, Johannesburg, Libreville, Maputo, Nairobi and Rabat.

A total of 137 reporters and 15 photographers have been selected for the first round of training; more courses will be held towards the end of the year and in 2010.