Objective: To strengthen free and independent media throughout Africa, especially in its ability to contribute to good governance. AMDI’s goal is to increase the attention, resources, scale and effectiveness of media development in Africa, through a collaboration of African and international partners.

Commitment: To increase free and independent media in Africa over a five-year period. Based on an extensive needs assessment research project, and technical workshop (currently underway), activities will encourage the implementation of legal frameworks which support a pluralistic press environment; providing training to journalists with sustained post-training assistance, support to commercial management, and policy awareness among key stakeholders to ensure that a free independent media is placed on policy agendas.

Background: The African Media Development Initiative is responding to recommendations of the recent UK Commission for Africa report, Our Common Interest. Highlighting fundamental roles of the media, the report calls for a collaborative effort on the part of all sectors, with the support of donors, to form a pan-African initiative to increase the attention, coordination, and resources of media development in Africa. Pluralistic independent media has proven to be a powerful catalyst in development and enhancing governance, encouraging transparency, accountability, and responsive, less corrupt governments.

As one of the world's leading public broadcasters, with a pervasive reach throughout Africa and the developing world, the BBC is strongly supportive and motivated to work towards a more independent African media. The Trust, as the BBC's independent, international charity and one of the world's leading media development organizations, has played a leading role in developing the initiative since its recommendation was included in the Commission for Africa report in March 2005.

The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) has supported the initiative and will continue to through the development phase of September 2005 to April 2006. Numerous discussions have taken place with additional donors, including the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Gates Foundation, and the Kaiser Foundation, International Business Leaders Forum, and the NEPAD Business Group.

Update:
January 2006:
The African Media Development Initiative has put in place partnerships with Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and the School of Journalism at Rhodes University (South Africa) to carry out the research into media development in sixteen African countries (Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.). In addition, numerous consultations have taken place with experts in the field.

Funding for the preparatory research and mapping phase for this project has been secured from the UK’s Department for International Development and from the Gates Foundation, and negotiations for additional funds from the International Finance Commission (IFC) of the World Bank are underway.

The program commencing in January 2006 and has three components: Research and Analysis, Sector Planning, and Mobilization. A workshop to review research reports and to assess priorities is set to convene in June 2006. It will lay out options for the design and logistics of the AMDI facility to be presented to stakeholders at a Media Development Forum, likely to take place in South Africa in September 2006. The Forum will consider the report of the Advisory Group and the set of specific recommendations prepared at the technical meeting. It will include preparatory meetings of donors, the private sector, government regulators on the day prior to the Forum.

February 2006:
After securing funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and forming two university partnerships, 20 researchers were hired from 17 countries in Africa: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Research briefings took place at Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies in South Africa, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and in Tanzania.

March 2006:
A website for the project was launched and researchers have begun their activities in each of the 17 countries.
Of the $1.4 million cost of the project, $1.2 million has been raised to date.