By Binta Jaiteh& Haddy Touray
The Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, has emphasized that national development cannot be achieved without strong skills development, youth empowerment, and ethical communication, describing these as critical national assets in today’s competitive global era.
Prof. Gomez made the remarks at the fourth graduation ceremony of the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC), held under the theme, “Framing the Future: Media and Communication at the Heart of National Development.” The ceremony highlighted the vital role of media in shaping society and promoting accountability in a democracy.
The minister urged graduates from MAJaC’s four departments—Journalism, Film and Photography, Digital Media Production, and Management and Communication—to see themselves as drivers of national transformation. He notes that modern nations compete not through size or natural resources alone but through human ideas, innovation, and intellectual capacity.
“We are living in an era where nations do not compete physically; they compete through ideas, skills, and innovation,” he said, adding that innovation “does not imagine itself into existence—it exists when you create and connect.”
MAJaC Managing Director, Sang Mendy says graduates are entering a rapidly evolving media landscape, where storytelling carries influence and truth carries responsibility. He encouraged them to foster transparency, inspire dialogue, and challenge injustice, highlighting the media’s central role in participatory democracy and national development.
“The duty of journalists is not only to inform but to enlighten and serve society with integrity,” Mendy said, noting that MAJaC’s training equips graduates to report accurately, promote dialogue, and strengthen democratic culture.
MAJaC Director of Training, James Badjie highlighted the practical focus of the academy’s programs. “Every story you tell, every image you capture, carries power—the power to inform, inspire, and challenge. Competence, not talent alone, will define your success,” he remarked.
The Gambia Press Union’s Vice President, Sheriff Saidykhan, underscored the ethical challenges facing media today due to technological changes, information disorder, and artificial intelligence, urging graduates to navigate these responsibly.
Valedictorian Lamin B. Barra recounted his journey from Sandu Misera, where poverty and family responsibilities made education a daily struggle, to earning two advanced diplomas at MAJaC. He dedicated his achievement to the memory of his late uncle, Muhammad Barra, and thanked his classmates, trainers, and staff for their support.
Barra encouraged his fellow graduates to pursue their careers with courage, discipline, and creativity. “It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is how far you are willing to go,” he said.
The graduation underscored MAJaC’s commitment to shaping media professionals capable of contributing to Gambia’s social cohesion, democratic culture, and creative industries, reinforcing the academy’s role as a key platform for aspiring journalists and communicators.