The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has urged the Hansard staff across Africa to try and upgrade their knowledge, skills, and competence required to meet the demands of the technology age and protect the integrity of parliamentary proceedings.
The Hansard, which is a verbatim report of parliamentary debates, is normally handled by a special unit within even parliament.
Speaking at the opening of the 11th Biennial Conference of the Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association – Africa Region in Accra on Monday, [August 11, 2025], Mr Bagbin warned that Parliament’s official records risk distortion in the digital age, as fake news and advanced technology make it easier to alter the words of leaders.
He said manipulated images and videos could misrepresent parliamentary debates if reporting officers are not adequately equipped.
“As I speak today, somebody can take my picture as I stand before you, change what I am communicating, and use a different language,” he said.
“With how my mouth is opening and closing, they will match it in such a way that anybody listening will believe this is what the Speaker said at this conference. That is a serious threat.”
Mr Bagbin stressed that parliamentary language is different from everyday English and must be shielded from distortion.
He called for more investment in the official reporting department, noting that the Hansard must remain accurate, timely, and relevant in the face of digital manipulation.
“Whatever we do will come to nothing without accurate official records,” he told participants from across the continent, adding that the weakness of democracy in Africa is linked to the weakness of its parliamentary institutions.
The four-day conference, hosted in Accra, has brought together Hansard editors from Commonwealth African countries to discuss innovation, skills development, and the future of official parliamentary reporting.
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