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IATF2025: Algerian journalists celebrate visiting Global Africa colleagues
A special feature of the just concluded 4th Intra African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025, held in Algiers, Algeria, especially as far as visiting journalists were concerned, was a touching gesture by the National Organization of Algerian Journalists led by Suleiman Abdosh.
The Algerian journalists excitedly turned out in large numbers at the Press Center designated for the visiting journalists at the Trade Fair Complex to honour their colleagues from different countries in Africa, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and beyond.
In a celebratory and convivial atmosphere, speeches were made, awards of Medals of African Journalism were handed out to all the visiting journalists, and photographs were taken to ensure that the historic visit of the more than 100 Global Africa journalists was documented for posterity.
The Trade and Investment Fair, which held from September 3 to 10, 2025, was organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and was hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
According to statistics released at the end of the event, IATF2025 has turned out to be the biggest and best so far, since the first of the series was held in Cairo, Egypt, from December 11 to 17, 2018. The second was held in Durban, South Africa (2021); the African Marketplace returned to Cairo, Egypt in 2023, before the mega event in Algiers, Algeria this year, 2025. The next Fair is scheduled to hold in Lagos, Nigeria in 2027.
At the short but impressive ceremony by the National Organization of Algerian Journalists, Mr. Vincent Musumba, Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) for Afreximbank, welcomed Abdosh and his compatriots to the Press Center and commended them for the decision to celebrate their brothers and sisters from different parts of Africa, the Caribbean and beyond.
In his speech at the ceremony, Abdosh acknowledged what Mrs. Anne Ezeh, Director of Communications & Events, Afreximbank, had said at another forum, that IATF 2025 had witnessed the most media coverage of all the past IATF events.
Abdosh thanked the visiting journalists for their reportage, which, within the days of the Fair, had put Algeria, IATF and Global Africa firmly on the world’s map and on the global consciousness. He acknowledged the pioneering role of African media in resolving common challenges within the continent and stressed the need for united action to confront media injustices and negative stereotypes that have continued to plague Global Africa.
He urged that the visiting journalists and all other patriots must commit themselves to the task of projecting and defining Global Africa as a beacon for humanity and as the future of the world. He also called for a Global Africa Media Network that would bring journalists together to defend the continent on international media platforms.
The leader of Algerian journalists also noted that the ceremony to honour the visiting media personalities was in the context of Algeria’s keenness to make the media a tool for the promotion of Global African cooperation and integration, as well as an the embodiment of the pan African vision of the President of Algeria, Mr. Abdul Majeed Taboun.
Though the ceremony was brief, it left a positively lasting impact on both the visiting journalists and their hosts. Fraternal bonds were firmly forged in those brief moments and the passion for the Global Africa agenda was fired up with the realization of the fact of a shared destiny.
The common refrain, as the media program ended and the journalists started heading for the closing ceremony of IATF2025, became: “see you in Lagos 2027.”
