On November 6, 2024, IYBA-SEED Togo organized a workshop dedicated to analyzing media coverage of entrepreneurship in Togo. The event brought together nearly 40 journalists, entrepreneurs and communications experts, with the objective of assessing the current state of this coverage and proposing recommendations for its improvement.
All participants agreed that entrepreneurship, although crucial to economic development, does not yet occupy a prominent place in the Togolese media. Reports on the subject are often limited to one-off events, such as competitions or project launches, but rarely deal with the substantive issues surrounding entrepreneurship.
In light of these findings, a number of challenges were identified during the workshop:
- Lack of specialized training: Journalists do not always benefit from specific training on entrepreneurial topics, which limits their ability to cover these subjects in depth.
- Lack of documentary resources: There is a lack of accessible databases on Togolese entrepreneurial initiatives, making it difficult to find relevant information.
- Financial and logistical constraints: Producing quality content requires ressources that many newsrooms are unable to mobilize.
Opportunities are emerging
Growing public interest in local success stories offers a unique opportunity to showcase Togolese entrepreneurial initiatives. Moreover, the diversity of modern media formats, such as podcasts and web-series, means that new ways of telling these inspiring stories can be explored. The discussions led to a number of concrete recommendations and courses of action:
- Creation of an interactive digital platform: This platform would act as a bridge between the media and entrepreneurs, offering a database of success stories, a directory of key players and collaboration forums.
- Capacity-building for journalists: Ongoing training programs, in partnership with specialized institutions, would be set up to deepen journalists' knowledge of entrepreneurial topics.
- Active promotion of local success stories: Identify and document the inspiring journeys of Togolese entrepreneurs, diversifying content formats to reach a wider audience.
These initiatives aim to strengthen collaboration between the media and Togo's entrepreneurial ecosystem, so that together they can help raise the profile of entrepreneurial initiatives, thereby inspiring the country's entrepreneurs.
The IYBA SEED project plans to support the media in implementing the recommendation on specialized training by training journalists in entrepreneurial topics.
The enthusiasm and commitment shown at this workshop testify to a shared desire to join forces to create a media environment that supports and enhances entrepreneurship in Togo, thereby contributing to the country's economic and social development.
