All Africa Media Network (AAMN) a dialogue facilitating outfit of media practitioners across Africa, has officially joined the growing global campaign demanding the replacement of the 16th-century Mercator world map with the more accurate Equal Earth projection. The move comes as international pressure mounts to correct historical distortions that make Africa appear smaller and less significant on the global stage.
For centuries, the Mercator projection—designed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator—has dominated classrooms, offices, and digital platforms worldwide. Originally created to aid sea navigation, the map enlarges regions near the poles such as North America and Greenland while shrinking continents like Africa and South America. Critics argue this has fueled misconceptions about Africa’s true scale, identity, and global influence.
“All Africa Media Network cannot remain silent on an issue that directly affects how the world views Africa,” said Cookey Iwuoha Executive Director of AAMN. “The Mercator Map may look harmless, but it has shaped decades of false narratives about Africa’s size, importance, and contribution to the world. It is time to set the record straight.”
The organization’s statement follows the African Union’s recent endorsement of the Correct the Map campaign, led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa. The campaign promotes the Equal Earth projection, a modern design introduced in 2018 to represent countries more accurately by area.
“The current size of the map of Africa is wrong,” said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter. “It’s the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop.”
Supporters of the change say the distortion goes beyond geography, influencing education, media portrayals, and policy decisions. By making Africa look smaller, they argue, the Mercator map has historically supported narratives of marginalization.
“It might seem to be a map,but in reality it is not” Said The African union commission deputy chair, ‘Selma Malika Haddadi’.Futhermore “the map is not to be seen as just a picture” but is a tool that shapes how people see themselves and their place in the world, said ‘Fara Ndiaye’, co-founder of Speak Up Africa. “We are working to ensure African classrooms adopt the Equal Earth projection, so our children grow up knowing their continent’s real size and value”.
The All Africa Media Network echoed these concerns, stressing the role of media in amplifying or correcting such distortions. “Maps tell stories, and for too long, Africa’s story has been minimized,”Cookey Iwuoha added. “As media leaders, we must challenge old stereotypes and present Africa as it truly is—the world’s second-largest continent, rich in people, culture, and resources.”
Globally, the campaign is gaining traction. Institutions such as the World Bank have already begun phasing out the Mercator map in favor of alternatives like Equal Earth and Winkel tripel. The African Union has also pledged to push member states to adopt the Equal Earth map in official settings and international dealings.
The issue has also drawn support from outside Africa. Dorbrene O’Marde, vice-chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Reparations Commission, called the Equal Earth projection “a rejection of the ideology of power and dominance embedded in the Mercator map.”
Despite these efforts, the Mercator projection remains widely used, especially on digital platforms and in classrooms. While Google Maps introduced a 3D globe view in 2018, the Mercator map remains the default on its mobile version.
For AAMN, this campaign is more than a cartographic correction—it is about reclaiming dignity. “This is a matter of identity, education, and justice,”Cookey said. “By correcting the map, we correct the record.”
As the movement gathers momentum, the call is clear: it is time for the world to see Africa in its true size and rightful place.
