MONROVIA – The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has called on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to make strategic investments in both mainstream and digital media to enhance the visibility, reach, and impact of its programs across West Africa.
The call was made Monday by PUL President Julius Kanubah during the opening of a five-day sub-regional workshop aimed at strengthening collaboration and building the capacity of FAO Communication Units in the region.
Addressing participants at the workshop, Kanubah underscored the critical role of communication in influencing public behavior, shaping perceptions, and driving social transformation.
“The FAO’s work is vital to the economic, environmental, and social security of nations,” Kanubah said. “Communicating these impacts effectively is essential to empowering vulnerable populations, advancing agriculture, and fostering sustainable development.”
He emphasized that communication should not be viewed merely as a support function but as a strategic tool for promoting awareness, accountability, and public engagement.
According to the PUL President, the FAO must move beyond being a passive communicator and adopt a more proactive approach to engaging citizens on issues related to food security, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and hunger reduction.
“People are more likely to support and participate in development initiatives when they understand how those programs directly affect their lives and livelihoods,” he noted.
The workshop, being held at the RLJ Kendeja Resort and Villas, is organized under the auspices of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for West Africa and the FAO Representation in Liberia.
The event has brought together communication specialists from across the sub-region to explore ways of improving the effectiveness and impact of FAO communications.
Participants are discussing a broad range of topics, including strategic communication coordination, impactful storytelling, audio-visual content production, digital communication, advocacy and media engagement, as well as innovative approaches to increasing the visibility of FAO interventions.
Representatives from several West African countries are participating in the workshop, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The PUL believes that strengthening the capacity of FAO communication units will not only improve public awareness of the organization’s work but also help build trust, encourage stakeholder participation, and inspire collective action to address some of the region’s most pressing agricultural and food security challenges.
Kanubah stressed that effective communication remains indispensable to development, noting that even the most impactful programs can fail to achieve their full potential if citizens are not adequately informed about their benefits and outcomes.
The workshop is expected to produce practical strategies for improving communication and collaboration among FAO offices across West Africa, ultimately enhancing the organization’s ability to engage communities and promote sustainable agricultural development throughout the region.
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