News Investigators/ The Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) has pledged to provide more opportunities for photojournalists in order to adequately tell the African stories.
The President of FAAPA and Director-General of the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP), Fouad Arif, said this on Friday at the end of a 5-day photojournalism training in Rabat, Morocco.
He said that training was aimed to empower African photographers to tell the continent’s stories with authenticity and creativity.
He said the seminar’s objectives were “totally met,” reaffirming FAAPA’s commitment to building professional capacity across African newsrooms.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Arif said participants would have opportunities to cover more major events in Morocco.
These including the Cannes competition later this year and the FIFA World Cup, while Marrakech will host FAAPA’s next General Assembly.
He urged the journalists to stay connected through digital platforms, submit entries for the FAAPA Photography Awards, and continue promoting Africa’s image through powerful storytelling.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Josephine Essomba, commended the organisers for the “perfect” training conditions and praised the collaborative teaching model adopted throughout the seminar.
She highlighted the importance of Africans telling their own stories, adding that the workshop reinforced the need for journalists to portray the continent’s beauty, diversity, and resilience.
The participants also thanked MAP for its hospitality and for providing a conducive learning environment.
In his remarks, Thierry Gouignon, a resource person and photojournalist from Côte d’Ivoire, said the training underscored the importance of visual storytelling in shaping Africa’s image.
“Through this profession, photojournalists can better tell the lives of Africans. It is a challenge to be present, to be as realistic as possible,” he said, urging participants to combine journalism and photography to strengthen their storytelling skills.
Mr Gouignon called on FAAPA to replicate similar training sessions across the continent to help journalists exceed public expectations.
Another participant, Isabel Bento, a multimedia journalist from the Namibia Press Agency, described the course as “more in-depth and enlightening” than previous photography workshops she had attended.
She suggested that future editions include more English and Portuguese translations to ensure inclusivity among non-French speaking participants.
Ms Bento expressed gratitude to FAAPA and MAP for the opportunity, noting that the training had equipped her with new techniques and ethical insights to improve her storytelling through photography.
“We are very grateful for the platform, and I believe it will help us become better photojournalists capable of telling Africa’s great stories through images,” she said.
NAN