The Editor-in-Chief of a Nigerian online, ASHENEWS, and a health and environment journalist with extensive experience in agricultural reporting, Abdallah El-Kurebe has been appointed as the Nigeria Country Coordinator for the newly formed Network of Journalists for the Promotion of Agrosylvopastoral Products in West Africa and the Sahel (ReJPAH-AOS).
Officially launched during a Constitutive General Assembly held on July 3 and 4 at the Concorde Hotel in Lomé, Togo, the network is focused on promoting regional agricultural trade.
Supported by the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral and Fisheries Products (WACTAH), the initiative seeks to strengthen regional agricultural systems, boost cross-border trade, and improve the visibility of grassroots stakeholders through targeted, inclusive, and transformative communication.
The network also seeks to address these issues by improving information flow, harmonizing trade policies, and supporting cross-border agricultural commerce through informed journalism.
El-Kurebe’s appointment comes at a critical time when the region faces significant challenges such as malnutrition affecting around 23 million people, climate change, and food insecurity exacerbated by global disruptions.
As Nigeria’s coordinator, El-Kurebe will leverage his expertise as a multiple award-winning agric journalist and memberships in various professional bodies, including the Nigeria Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) and the Pan-African Association of Agricultural Journalists (PAAJ), of which he is the President, to mobilize Nigerian media practitioners to actively participate in the network’s initiatives.
His role will include the coordination of market information, and advocating for policies that reduce trade barriers such as high customs duties and border inefficiencies that currently limit intra-regional agricultural trade to just 12 percent of exports, within the West African and the Sahel subregions.
El-Kurebe’s leadership is expected to contribute significantly to the network’s goal of fostering greater regional integration and food security by promoting transparent and impactful journalism that highlights the importance of agricultural trade within West Africa and the Sahel. This initiative aligns with broader efforts by ECOWAS, AES, and development partners to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience through improved trade conditions and cooperation among member states.
Country focal persons were appointed as follows:
TOGO: PODJOLEY Essonana Gilles
BENIN: TOKPNON André
CÔTE D’IVOIRE: YAPO Mireille
BURKINA FASO: SANGARE Dirissa
MALI: BAMADIO Tidiane
GUINEA: SOARE Alpha Ousmane
MAURITANIA: SOYMARE Adama Mamadou
NIGER: BOUBACAR Aminata
LIBERIA: MASSAH Jefferson Togbah
NIGERIA: ABDALLAH El-Kurebe
GHANA: FRIMPONG Rihmond
SENEGAL: SENE Babacar
GAMBIA: JALLOW Amadou
