The West African Journalists Association (WAJA) also known as Projet de renforcement des Capacités de l‟Union des Journalistes de l‟Afrique de l‟Ouest‟‟ (PRC-UJAO) was created in 1986 in Dakar, Senegal by journalist Associations and Trade unions of the fifteen (15) member states of ECOWAS and Mauritania. The creation of WAJA was for the press to fully play its role in the community in most of the Member States.
The goal of the project is to strengthen the voices of media in order to promote democracy and ensure participatory governance, accountability and transparency in ECOWAS member countries.The specific objectives of the project are to:
- Enhance the institutional and human capacity of journalists and media workers
- Strengthen the legal protection, safety and security of West African journalists
- Improve the work environment of journalists