Ghana Becomes First African Country to Contribute to International Fund for Public Interest Media- Mahama Asserts

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that, Ghana will become the first African country to make a financial contribution to the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) — a move that underscores the country’s commitment to promoting press freedom, transparency, and the integrity of information.

Announcing the decision at the Paris Peace Forum, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama said the contribution demonstrates Ghana’s conviction that a free and independent media is vital to the survival of democracy and good governance.

The President emphasized that the contribution is not only symbolic but represents Ghana’s determination to take tangible action in defending truth, sustaining trust, and supporting independent journalism worldwide.

President Mahama’s announcement comes amid renewed global efforts to bolster independent media, with the IFPIM targeting €130 million between 2026 and 2028 to support journalism that serves the public interest.

President Mahama noted that the fight against misinformation and disinformation has become one of the defining challenges of the modern era, warning that falsehoods are increasingly shaping elections, distorting public health responses, and undermining global efforts against climate change.

“Disinformation is not an abstract issue,” he cautioned. “It fuels conflict, erodes public confidence in science and governance, and weakens democracy itself.”

He also called on other nations to follow Ghana’s example in treating the defense of truth as a shared global responsibility, mentioned that, the world must invest in truth as deliberately as it invests in infrastructure, energy, or defense.