Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, about thirty-five participants comprising journalists and civil society organisation (CSO) representatives from the South-South region are currently undergoing training on how to fact-check and verify the authenticity of information before disseminating it to the public.
The training is organised under the platform of Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), F.S.P., a Spanish public foundation, as part of the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project. FIAP is co-implementing Component 3 of the EPSG Project in West Africa in collaboration with GIZ.
Held at Rosmohr Hotel, the organisers said the training is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen peaceful electoral processes in West Africa.
In her opening remarks on Monday, Maria Belen Alvaro Sanchez, Coordinator, FIAP/EPSG, thanked all the participants for attending and highlighted the importance of the media as the 2027 elections draw closer.
Alvaro Sanchez said: “We are very proud to have you on board and to offer this kind of training. I believe you will have an amazing experience and make the training as interactive as possible.
“I think EPSG is also very important for the media. The information being shared here will remain relevant from now until the end of the election, and even beyond. It is not only the pre-electoral period that matters; the post-election period is equally important. The media has a crucial role to play in this.”
Also speaking, Joseph Osuigwe, Technical Adviser on Media and CSOs, EPSG/FIAP, explained that the three-day workshop on countering disinformation, fake news, and hate speech focuses on strengthening electoral processes by preventing electoral violence and tackling misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
He said the overall objective of the EPSG Project is to enhance peace, security, and governance in the ECOWAS region.
Osuigwe noted that the training addresses the challenges posed by the rapid spread of false narratives and inflammatory messaging, particularly through social media, online news platforms, and radio, which have historically contributed to voter suppression, identity-based tensions, and outbreaks of electoral violence in Nigeria.
He added: “The workshop aims to equip participants with the skills to identify, analyse, and counter disinformation, fake news, and hate speech related to elections.
“The training will also strengthen ethical, conflict-sensitive, and peace-oriented reporting practices among media professionals and CSOs.
“Additionally, the programme aims to promote responsible use of digital tools and platforms to prevent the spread of disinformation and hate speech and to enable participants to develop campaigns they can lead within their communities and states.”
The technical adviser explained that at the end of the training, participants will design and implement #CheckBeforeYouPost campaigns across their communities and states as part of their civic responsibility to promote peaceful electoral processes.
He further said media professionals and CSOs are expected to apply the practical skills gained from the training to strengthen ongoing initiatives that promote peaceful, inclusive, and democratic electoral participation.
The training, he disclosed, is part of broader efforts under the EPSG Project to support credible information, reduce the risk of electoral violence, and strengthen democratic governance in West Africa. He added that it is a multi-donor initiative co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Lois Ugbede, Manager, DAIDAC, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, who took participants through fact-checking tools, verification techniques, and source validation for promoting electoral peace, demonstrated the use of tools such as InVID plugin, reverse image search, Google Lens, and Forensically, among others, to detect fake news and manipulated videos.
The training continues for the next two days.
