Morocco Opens Doors For Liberian Publishers

The Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) is expected to benefit from a major gesture of cooperation from media institutions in the Kingdom of Morocco following a series of high-level engagements in Rabat aimed at strengthening Liberia’s media sector.

The President of PAL, along with Mohammed M. Kanneh, Publisher of the Heritage Newspaper, recently concluded several strategic meetings with Moroccan media organizations that expressed willingness to support both the association and the broader Liberian media community.

The discussions, held with various institutions in Rabat, centered on technical cooperation, media development, training opportunities, and institutional partnerships intended to improve journalism standards in Liberia.

One of the major meetings took place last week with officials of the Moroccan Press Association, where the organization pledged technical assistance and collaboration with Liberian media institutions.

According to Mr. Abdelhabim EL Morabit, Director for External Affairs, the Moroccan media body views cooperation with Liberia as part of a broader commitment to African solidarity and development.

“With the request you have made to us, we are glad to look into them and will provide some of your needs. We in Morocco are always willing to help our African brothers,” Mr. EL Morabit stated on behalf of the association’s leadership

The PAL delegation also met with executives of LE Matin, regarded as one of Morocco’s largest printing companies, where discussions focused on building closer cooperation with Liberian publishers and media outlets.

President of LE Matin, Mr. Mohammed Haitami, assured the Liberian delegation that his institution was prepared to establish a productive working relationship with Liberia’s media sector due to the level of cooperation PAL seeks to build.

The engagement is being viewed as a potentially significant breakthrough for Liberia’s struggling media industry, particularly in areas relating to printing technology, institutional support, and professional development.

Another institution visited by the PAL delegation was the Institute of Information and Communication, a renowned Moroccan institution that trains journalists from across Africa and beyond.

Officials of the institution expressed willingness to provide scholarships for young Liberian journalists seeking to advance their studies in journalism and communication.

During the engagement, PAL representatives noted that no Liberian student has reportedly attended the institution since its establishment more than fifty years ago.

“You have had students from several countries in Africa and outside the continent. There is no Liberian. We would like to see some young Liberian journalists come and get the water of extra knowledge from Morocco so that they can become ambassadors for you tomorrow in the next academic year,” Mr. Toweh remarked.

Responding to the appeal, Mr. Mohssine Benzakour, Director of Student Affairs at the institute, welcomed the proposal and indicated the institution’s readiness to accommodate Liberian students.

“Yes, this is something we would like to do,” Mr. Benzakour stated during the discussions with the PAL delegation.

The Liberian team later interacted with students from several African countries currently studying at the institution, discussing regional media development and professional cooperation.

In another significant engagement, PAL also held discussions with Morocco’s audiovisual content regulatory authority, whose leadership expressed readiness to assist the Liberia Media Council.

Officials of the institution disclosed that their engineers developed one of Africa’s first advanced software systems capable of monitoring audiovisual and radio content, including airtime allocation and media compliance.

Madam Latifa Akharbach, President of the Content Management Institute for Audiovisual Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, revealed that the monitoring software is currently being used in fourteen countries, including some European nations, due to its effectiveness and accuracy.

“We will be glad to help Liberia with this. We have 14 countries using this software today, and we will be glad to include Liberia when you make the request,” Madam Akharbach stated.

PAL, meanwhile, has expressed sincere appreciation to the Kingdom of Morocco and its Embassy near Monrovia for facilitating the engagements, while also calling on other friendly nations to support Liberia’s media sector through training, technical assistance, and institutional partnerships.