BEIJING — Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, has highlighted his country’s efforts to modernize its media sector and adapt to rapid technological change at the seventh Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation in Beijing.
Addressing the forum, the minister said Somalia was working to adapt its media institutions to new technologies while facing challenges shared by other countries in the region, particularly in adopting emerging digital tools and artificial intelligence.
Abdifatah said the Somali government was seeking to develop a modern media sector capable of keeping pace with rapid changes in technology and the evolving ways in which people access and consume information.
He also stressed the role of the media in supporting social development, providing reliable information and strengthening ties and unity within communities.
The minister said Somalia was committed to developing a professional and responsible media sector, while seeking to respond to the opportunities and challenges created by new technologies.
Artificial intelligence, he said, was among the technologies reshaping the media industry, creating new opportunities while also requiring media institutions and journalists to adapt their skills and practices.
Abdifatah placed particular emphasis on media cooperation between Africa and China, highlighting technology, training, exchanges of expertise and efforts to strengthen the institutional capacity of media organisations.
He said Somalia was ready to actively benefit from opportunities created through the forum and deepen cooperation with China and other African countries in the media sector.
The seventh Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation brings together officials and media professionals from African countries and China to discuss cooperation and the development of the media industry amid rapid technological change.
The forum comes at a time when news organisations across Africa are increasingly adapting to digital platforms, social media and artificial intelligence, which are changing how news is produced, distributed and consumed.
For Somalia, the push to modernize the media sector comes alongside efforts to strengthen professional standards, expand access to technology and improve the capacity of media institutions.
The minister was accompanied at the forum by Somalia’s ambassador to China, Hodan Osman Abdi, and Radio Muqdisho Director Abdifatah Dahir Jayte.
Somalia’s participation in the Beijing forum reflects the government’s interest in expanding international media partnerships and gaining access to training, technology and expertise that could support the development of the country’s media industry.
The discussions also underline the growing importance of technological cooperation as African media organisations seek to navigate the rapid expansion of digital news, artificial intelligence and new forms of audience engagement.
