{"id":1152,"date":"2026-05-22T10:58:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T10:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acalanau.org\/?post_type=news&p=1152"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:52:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:52:05","slug":"african-media-negative-narratives-dr-george-elombi","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/acalanau.org\/fr\/news\/african-media-negative-narratives-dr-george-elombi\/","title":{"rendered":"African Media Must Stop Echoing Negative Narratives About the Continent \u2014 Dr. George Elombi"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOM\u00c9 \u2014<\/strong> George Elombi has called on African journalists, media organizations, and digital communicators to fundamentally rethink how the continent is portrayed globally, urging a decisive shift away from crisis-driven narratives toward balanced, confidence-building storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elombi, a Cameroonian banker and senior executive at Afreximbank \u2014 where he serves as Executive Vice President overseeing strategic operations in trade finance, governance, and institutional development \u2014 is widely regarded as one of the key continental voices on Africa\u2019s economic transformation agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the Biashara Afrika 2026 Conference in Lom\u00e9, Togo, he warned that Africa continues to be defined externally by stories of conflict, disease, and instability, while its economic progress, integration efforts, and institutional achievements receive far less attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe cannot join the rest of the world to think that every time there is something to report about Africa, it has to be wars here, Ebola there, civil strife here,\u201d he said. \u201cToo many good things are happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that this imbalance in storytelling risks distorting global perceptions of Africa and weakening investor confidence, even at a time when continental integration efforts are gaining momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elombi also criticized the tendency within African media ecosystems to amplify isolated negative incidents while underreporting high-level continental dialogues and development initiatives that shape Africa\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe mindset has to switch,\u201d he said, warning that continued negative framing of the continent will reinforce outdated stereotypes and undermine economic opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His remarks come at a critical moment as the African Union advances Agenda 2063<\/strong>, the continent\u2019s long-term blueprint for inclusive growth, integration, and transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within this framework, experts argue that communication is not secondary \u2014 it is strategic. Without a strong African narrative infrastructure, even the most ambitious development agendas risk being misunderstood or underrepresented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n