By DELPHINE ZULU in Cairo –

AFRICA needs concerted efforts from all regional countries if it is to overcome its economic huddles, Egypt’s chief of training in the ministry of information, Sherif Shukri has said.

Addressing more than 20 African Journalists participating in the 39th Media training course in Egypt yesterday, Mr Shukri asked the practitioners drawn from more than 10 countries to focus on developing Africa by publishing its economic potential.

Mr Shukri said Africa was a sleeping giant that needed to be woken up and that together, countries could explore avenues that would help them realise they had the potential to enrich the region.

“You cannot separate Egypt from other African countries, we are one, what we need now is to unlock its economic potential which I think can only be done through you the media, you must embark on positive articles aimed at changing the face of Africa to the outside world,” Mr Shukri said.

He said it was saddening to see that some African media institutions were publishing negative articles about certain African countries without realising the impact the said articles could cause on the entire economy.

Mr Shukri said Africans should begin to feel that the fate of Egypt was the fate of all other countries and emphasised the need to have purpose of unity and promote each other’s businesses.

He said Africa was a powerful land but had been burdened with war, poverty and other calamities, and added that once these were addressed, the continent could perform well economically.