The 15th edition of the African Universities of Communication in Ouagadougou (UACO) officially opened on October 7, 2026, at the University Joseph-Ki-Zerbo in Burkina Faso. The event, themed "In a context of communication war, what attitudes and aptitudes for information and communication actors in Africa?", brings together administrative authorities, media and communication professionals, researchers, students, content creators, and influencers.
The ceremony was presided over by Burkinabé Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, representing the President of Faso. In a message read by the Prime Minister, the President emphasized the strategic importance of information and communication in the current context, where battles are fought not only on military, economic, or diplomatic fronts but also in the minds, media space, social networks, and through images, words, stories, and representations.
The President of Faso called on information and communication actors to be responsible, discerning, and rigorous in the treatment and dissemination of information. He stressed that Africa must learn to speak for itself, tell its own story, explain its choices, defend its interests, and produce and disseminate its own stories. According to him, a people that do not control its narrative is a vulnerable people, and those who do not produce their own information remain dependent on those who produce it for them.
Burkinabé Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts, and Tourism, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, highlighted the profound changes in the information landscape with the rise of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence. He emphasized that information has become a strategic resource for governance, capable of influencing perceptions, behaviors, and representations.
The Minister explained that the theme of this 15th edition is linked to the security context faced by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. He called on media professionals to question their role in this context and to reflect on their attitudes and aptitudes, including through capacity building and mastery of new practices related to the evolution of the media environment.
Bassolma Bazié, sponsor of the 15th edition and President of the National Commission of the Confederation of Sahel States, stressed the strategic nature of information and communication. He stated that means of information and communication can constitute instruments with different effects depending on the intentions of those who use them, comparing them to weapons whose level of lethality or vital protection depends on the nature of the intentions that drive those who wield them.
The reflections of this 15th edition of UACO are organized around two axes and 35 communications, aiming to improve professional practices, guide public policies, and develop communication strategies adapted to the new context.
Key points
- The President of Faso emphasized the need for Africa to produce and disseminate its own information and stories to avoid vulnerability.
- The 15th edition of UACO focuses on the role of information and communication in a context of war and the need for responsible and rigorous practices.
- The event brings together various stakeholders, including media professionals, researchers, students, and content creators, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the information and communication landscape in Africa.
