Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said indigenous media platforms such as C54 News can help reshape global perceptions of Africa by projecting the continent’s innovation, enterprise, culture and economic opportunities to international audiences.
Jonathan stated this at the launch of C54 News Global Streaming Dome in Uyo on Wednesday, October 14, where he described the 24-hour news platform as a timely investment in media and technology, with the potential to connect all 54 African countries to the world.
He urged African media organisations to take a leading role in presenting the continent’s story accurately and confidently, rather than allowing its image to be defined largely by external narratives.
The launch also places Akwa Ibom State at the centre of an emerging African media initiative, with the state government expressing optimism that the establishment of the platform in Uyo would attract wider international attention to its development projects, tourism assets and investment opportunities.
Governor Umo Eno, represented by his deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, said the decision by C54 News to establish its global streaming facility in the state aligned with his administration’s ambition to position Akwa Ibom as a tourism destination and a preferred location for investment.
He listed the state’s road network, Ibom Air and investments in hospitality, healthcare, shopping and conference facilities as assets that could support this ambition. Among the projects he mentioned were the ARISE Palm Resort, International Convention Centre, Ibom Icon Hotel, ARISE Shopping City and Ibom International Hospital.
According to the governor, the presence of an international media organisation in Uyo could help expand the state’s visibility beyond Nigeria, particularly as the government continues to develop infrastructure intended to attract visitors, businesses and investors.
He cited the influence of international media organisations on the visibility of their host cities, referencing Al Jazeera in Doha and CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, and expressed hope that C54 News would similarly help project Akwa Ibom to a wider audience.
“Akwa Ibom is ready for C54 News Channel and we are excited to have you here,” he said, adding that the state was building the foundations needed to strengthen its global profile.
However, the platform’s contribution to the state’s development will depend not only on its location in Uyo but also on the quality of its reporting, its international reach and its ability to sustain credible coverage of African affairs, including business, tourism, innovation and governance.
In his keynote address, former President of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, said the platform represented an investment in Africa’s capacity to shape global conversations about the continent.
He stressed that credible and verified information was essential to economic integration, arguing that African citizens, businesses and governments needed reliable information to build connections across national boundaries.
“Africans need credible, verified information to connect citizens, businesses, and governments. C54 News will bridge that gap by taking African stories to Africans and to the world,” Masisi said.
He warned, however, that the platform’s long-term relevance would depend on its commitment to accuracy, independence, fairness and integrity, rather than technological capacity or audience size alone.
Also speaking, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said C54 News could help correct the imbalance in international media coverage, where African affairs were often presented through perspectives shaped outside the continent.
Obasanjo maintained that African leaders and citizens needed credible information, data and documentaries to understand their environment and make informed decisions about the continent’s future.
The Founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, who chaired the event, described the initiative as an opportunity for Africa to strengthen its control over its narrative and create connections among its people, industries and ideas.
Earlier, C54 News Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Idris Usman, said the platform was established to connect Africa through journalism, culture and ideas, challenging Africans to see the continent as an interconnected network of markets, industries and opportunities rather than merely a collection of separate countries.
South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, also welcomed the initiative, saying media platforms could promote stronger bilateral relations, continental unity, tolerance and shared prosperity.
C54 News is a 24-hour global streaming news platform focused on news, documentaries and data, with its headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Its launch brought together government officials, lawmakers, traditional rulers, diplomats, media executives and captains of industry.
