By Chigozie Chukwuleta
The Union of African Women Sports Reporters, UFRESA, has concluded a five-day mission to Libreville, Gabon, with a formal request for the Gabonese Republic to host the organization’s headquarters.
The delegation, led by UFRESA President Mrs. Aya Elisabeth Goli, was in Libreville from July 27 to 31, 2026, at the invitation of UFRESA-Gabon, as part of the joint celebration of the International Day of the African Woman and the International Day of the Sports Journalist. Presidents of UFRESA sections from Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea were also part of the delegation.
During the mission, UFRESA held high-level meetings with Gabonese government officials and media executives, including the Minister of Communication and Media, the Minister of Sports, the Special Adviser to the President in charge of Sports, the President of the Gabonese National Olympic Committee, the 6th Deputy Mayor of Libreville, and senior management of Gabon Télévision.
The discussions focused on UFRESA’s mandate, its development plans, and opportunities for closer cooperation with Gabonese institutions in the areas of media, sports, communication and training.
At the end of the engagements, UFRESA officially expressed its desire for Libreville to become the seat of the union. The organization said a permanent headquarters would strengthen coordination of its continental activities and provide a stable base to expand training, mentorship and advocacy programs aimed at advancing women in sports journalism and promoting gender equality in African sports media.
As part of its forward agenda, UFRESA also presented its activity calendar for March 2027. The calendar includes the inaugural African Female Athlete Awards, designed to recognize the achievements and contributions of sportswomen and advocates of women’s sport on the continent, and the publication of the UFRESA Directory, a reference publication that will profile the union’s national sections, members, partners and key initiatives.
The commemorative activities featured training sessions, panel discussions and exchanges on the challenges facing women in sports journalism, strategies to improve their visibility and leadership, and the need for more inclusive and gender-sensitive sports reporting across Africa.
In a statement at the close of the mission, Mrs. Goli thanked the Gabonese authorities, UFRESA-Gabon and all partners for their support. She reaffirmed UFRESA’s commitment to promoting the role of women in sports journalism and to strengthening the union’s presence as a pan-African platform for professional development and advocacy in the sector.
