MFWA opens applications for Africa-China relations training for West African journalists

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with the Wits Centre for Journalism (WCJ) in South Africa, has opened applications for a specialised training workshop on reporting Africa-China relations for journalists in Anglophone West Africa.

The three-day capacity-building programme, dubbed Building Capacity to Cover a Complex Story – Africa and China Relations, is expected to take place in Accra during the last quarter of 2026.

The training seeks to equip journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to critically examine the growing political, economic and development ties between Africa and China and their implications for the continent.

"Africa has long been a site of geopolitical competition among global powers. China's growing global influence and engagement across Africa has intensified debates around trade, infrastructure, development financing, natural resources, technology, labour, governance, and international cooperation," the organisers said in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 24.

According to the MFWA and the Wits Centre for Journalism, the workshop is intended to strengthen journalists' understanding of Africa-China relations within an increasingly multipolar global order.

The organisers noted that participants would receive both subject matter knowledge and practical journalism techniques to enable them to produce in-depth and public interest stories on the subject.

The training is open to journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia working in print, radio, television and digital media.

Eligible applicants are expected to cover areas such as politics, trade, business, development, infrastructure, extractives, environment and international affairs.

"The workshop, funded by the University of Witwatersrand, therefore aims at strengthening the capacity of journalists to better understand Africa-China relations in an increasingly multipolar global setting, and the implications of these developments for African communities and development," the statement said.

The organisers said all costs associated with participation, including return airfare, accommodation, meals and local transportation, would be fully covered.

Participants will also have the opportunity to apply for reporting grants to support the production of in-depth stories on Africa-China relations.

Additionally, three outstanding participants may receive fully funded opportunities to attend the Africa Investigative Journalism Conference scheduled to take place in Kenya from November 10 to 12, 2026, where they will present their stories.

Applicants are required to be available between September and October 2026 and must obtain formal permission from their editors to participate fully in the workshop.

The deadline for applications is July 30, 2026, while only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Interested applicants are to visit the website: MFWA.org, to fill a form and apply.