Boulgou: In an effort to improve information and conflict prevention techniques at the local level, the Nakamb© Regional Directorate of Communication initiated a professional capacity building workshop for the region’s media from August 6 to 7, 2025 in Tenkodogo. This was led by the Nakamb© Regional Director of Communication, Yacouba Diakit©. Media actors from the Nakamb© region met from August 6 to 7, 2025 in Tenkodogo, to take part in the workshop initiated by the regional management, with the aim of strengthening information and conflict prevention techniques at the local level.
According to Burkina Information Agency, during these two days, participants were trained on the importance of statistical data collection by the media, the financing mechanisms of private media in times of crisis, as well as the role of the media in the fight against disinformation. An initiative that was welcomed by professionals who expressed their satisfaction with the relevance and usefulness of the discussions.
The director of Flambo radio in Samangou, Mathias Segda, expressed his gratitude to the regional management for this initiative which strengthens their capacity to better play their role, especially in this period of crisis. “Well-processed information helps calm tensions and enlighten the population. Today, it is difficult for the media to function properly due to a lack of resources. This workshop gives us the necessary tools to develop projects and solicit support from the ministry or partners,” he said.
According to the Director of Legal Affairs and Litigation, Geoffroy Leman Sibid©, and also one of the workshop’s trainers, the Private Press Support Fund (FAPP) is the State’s armed wing for supporting the media in their development process. “We are in a time of crisis, and in this context, we must reinvent ourselves. Traditional sources of media revenue, such as advertising and copy sales, are dwindling or even disappearing. The question is: how can we cope and remain resilient? Funding mechanisms now exist, both nationally and internationally,” said Mr. Sidib©.
For him, they are there to inform and train their partners, the private media, on the search for funding and the preparation of files, so that they can benefit from the support of the institutions which support the press. “The Nakamb© region is facing a security crisis, and the technical and financial partners of the private press are withdrawing,” said the Nakamb© regional communications department.
Faced with this situation, it is crucial to equip the media so that they know how to mobilize resources to continue to function properly. The regional director in charge of Communication in Nakamb©, Yacouba Diakit©, argued that the main partners of private media are NGOs, but in the Nakamb© region, many have already left the field.
“On the one hand, it’s about training the media to find funding mechanisms, and on the other, supporting them on how to process information in times of crisis,” he said. Mr. Diakit© added that by 2026, every manager will need to know which doors to knock on to obtain resources, how to go about it, and how to process and disseminate information during this difficult period that affects everyone.
“Every year, the state grants a subsidy to various press outlets, but some applications are rejected for a simple missing document, which is incomprehensible. It is essential that stakeholders understand the requirements for supporting documents in order to benefit from subsidies for the following year,” Yacouba Diakit© continued. The regional director in charge of Communication at Nakamb©, maintained that the participants pass on the knowledge acquired to their assistant or manager upon their return to their respective editorial offices.
In order to combine business with pleasure, the participants went to Bagr© to visit the fish farming and sport fishing center, the rice processing unit, as well as the ecotourism center, before participating in an awareness session on the Burkinabe Copyright Office (BBDA).