Afrobarometer Boosts Communication Skills of National Partners’ Officers through Workshops

This second edition of Afrobarometer's training programme featured a practical media training module designed to improve participants’ interview techniques and media engagement strategies.

Afrobarometer has successfully concluded a series of workshops aimed at enhancing the communication abilities of its national partners' communications officers. These workshops, held in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, focused on equipping participants with the skills needed to effectively disseminate Afrobarometer's survey findings through impactful communication strategies.

In early November, communications officers from English-speaking Afrobarometer partners gathered in Adukrom, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, while their French-speaking counterparts attended a similar workshop in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from December 3 to 5. The workshops served several key purposes, including reviewing the previous year’s communications activities, aligning national partners with Afrobarometer’s 2025 strategy, and strengthening participants' skills in media engagement, communications, and data dissemination.

Hands-on Training for Effective Communication

This second edition of Afrobarometer's training programme featured a practical media training module designed to improve participants’ interview techniques and media engagement strategies. By practicing these skills, attendees gained a better understanding of how to secure more media coverage for Afrobarometer's activities and amplify the impact of its findings. Sessions also covered a wide range of crucial topics, including digital communication tools, internal and external communications, and effective writing techniques for different audiences.

Impactful Learning Experiences

Angella Nakasujja, communications officer at Hatchile Consult Ltd., Afrobarometer’s national partner in Uganda, shared her thoughts on the training’s value. “My participation in this communications training has been an invaluable experience; I’ve learned effective techniques for managing media interviews and preparing content for social media, which will greatly enhance my ability to amplify Afrobarometer's data on a global scale,” she said.

The training underscored the importance of improving communications strategies to broaden the impact of Afrobarometer’s research. Key aspects of this strategy include enhancing dissemination efforts to reach target audiences, promoting research findings, and making the analyses accessible to a wider public. Through these workshops, Afrobarometer aims to further strengthen its reputation as the leading source of African public opinion research.

Strengthening Afrobarometer’s Role in African Governance and Policy

Beyond the technical aspects of media and communications, the training focused on amplifying Afrobarometer’s data to engage policy makers, researchers, and civil society organizations across Africa. By stimulating demand for Afrobarometer’s findings, the network seeks to contribute more significantly to discussions surrounding governance, democracy, and development on the continent.

The workshops not only aimed to increase the effectiveness of Afrobarometer's dissemination but also to ensure that the research findings spark discussions that influence policy making and contribute to a deeper understanding of public attitudes toward various governance issues across Africa.

This training initiative highlights Afrobarometer’s commitment to empowering its partners and enhancing the visibility and influence of its surveys, ensuring that its findings continue to play a pivotal role in shaping conversations about Africa’s future.