African Union of Broadcasting and Russia Today Strategic Partnership

Strengthening Media Cooperation: AUB Meets with Russia Today (RT) in Moscow

May 26, 2025. The African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) held a strategic meeting with the leadership of Russia Today (RT) in Moscow, aimed at boosting content collaboration, journalist training, and media exchange across Africa.

The AUB delegation was led by Director General Grégoire Ndjaka, who engaged with RT executives including:

Sviatoslav Shegolev – Head of RT Africa

Alexey Nicolov – Former Director General, RT

Anna Kovtunova – Education Project Manager

What Was Discussed?

Launch of AUBvision

A new platform for content sharing and optimized programming among AUB members — including RT. The goal? A more direct and balanced portrayal of Russian news in African media spaces.

Content Strategy & Visual Identity

While RT expressed concerns over logo usage restrictions, AUB reaffirmed that message matters more than branding. RT also offered flexible recorded content for localized adaptation.

Journalist Training

Plans are underway to begin Zoom-based training sessions for African journalists in July 2025, post the AUB General Assembly — with options for future in-person workshops.

Technical Partnerships

Proposals include shared infrastructure to cut production costs and co-produced documentaries tailored for African audiences.

Next Steps

·      Finalizing the AUBvision agreement – June 2025

·      First journalist training sessions – July 2025

·      Evaluation of content logistics and training impact

·      Potential formation of an AUB-RT monitoring committee

In the Words of Our DG

“Too often, African audiences receive Russian news through filtered or distorted lenses — either from Western outlets or third-party channels. It's time we enable direct content access and offer our viewers a broader perspective.” Grégoire Ndjaka, AUB Director General

Following the meeting, Mr. Ndjaka was also received in audience by Vera Kharina, the newly appointed Director General of RT, who expressed commitment to sustained collaboration with the AUB.

Why This Matters

As Africa’s media landscape evolves, partnerships like this can provide diverse narratives, technical resources, and training opportunities for journalists — all while preserving editorial independence and authenticity.