Founder and Chairman of APO Group, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, says the group’s partnership with the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) will be key in bringing greater cohesion to the Catholic Church’s communications strategy on the continent.

 According to him, while Catholic populations are fast declining in other parts of the world, they are increasing fast in Africa, thus posing the need for the Church to foster new relationships and raise its profile in Africa through publicity and seamless information dissemination.

He said taking into consideration the ever increasing contribution of the Catholic Church to Human Development in Africa, it is rather strategic to reinforce the visibility of the African Catholic Church in the world by highlighting the achievements of the Church on the continent.

He was speaking on the occasion of the 19th SECAM Plenary Assembly where Ghanaian Cardinal, Richard Kuuia Baawobr was elected the head of the African Catholic Church.

He said, “The contribution of the Catholic Church to Human Development in Africa is also constantly increasing. In education: During the last ten years, Africa has been the continent that recorded the most significant increase in the number of schools managed by the Catholic Church.

“In healthcare: During the last ten years, Africa has been the continent that recorded the most significant increase in the number of healthcare facilities managed by the Catholic Church. These include hospitals, health centers, and leprosaria.

“The market shares of Catholic schools and healthcare facilities are higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world. Not to mention that, in sub-Saharan Africa, satisfaction is higher with faith-based schools and healthcare facilities than with public providers. The Catholic Church also manages countless Medical Schools and Nursing Schools across the continent.

“More than ever, the Catholic Church is at the heart of education, health, conflict resolution, and much more in Africa.”

He continued, “Thanks to this partnership, the Catholic Church in Africa can now rely on APO Group to enhance their communication by using the very same type of public relations services utilised by our clients, namely, the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, FIFA, and so many others, including corporations like Canon, Radisson, or DHL for instance.”

The APO will be supporting SECAM across a broad range of communications services, including distributing press releases, training communication staff, and planning meetings with media and other organisations intended to foster new relationships and raise the profile of the Catholic Church in Africa.