By Umar Namadi
International Press Centre (IPC) held a two-day capacity-building workshop on combatting information disorder in democratic governance reporting using fact-checking and FOI tools.
The workshop is being held as part of the activities under Component 4 (Support to Media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EUSDGN II) project. IPC is the lead implementing partner.
The two-day workshop held at Bafra International Hotel in Kaduna had in attendance 40 participants across nine (9) states of Northern Nigeria (Abuja, Kaduna, Kastina, Niger, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Jos, Benue) who are new/mid-level journalists, community journalists, freelance journalists, etc.
Participants were introduced to the rudiments of fact-checking using a tool and how to hold government and public institutions accountable for their activities using the FOIA (2011).
As the program manager, Mrs Stella Nwofia, stated in her welcome address at the Sardauna Hall in the hotel, “The training program seeks to address a critical aspect highlighted in the EU-EOM final report on the 2023 general elections, which underlines that online social platforms played a significant role in both campaigning and public oversight of the electoral process.
However, there were instances where these platforms were misused, either for campaigning lacking transparency or for creating misleading impressions of widespread support.
Despite repeated warnings from government officials about the dangers of misinformation, various entities, including individuals associated with major political parties, disseminated false information online.
Additionally, the report notes that major parties utilised paid advertising on online platforms. However, the full extent of this practice remained obscured due to a lack of transparency within these platforms.”
She added that “The training program, which commenced in Ondo State as the initial phase and was followed by Port-Harcourt, is designed as a three-part series. Its primary goal is to provide journalists nationwide with essential tools, skills, and knowledge. The program aims to empower journalists to adeptly navigate the challenges of the digital era while maintaining standards of responsibility and ethical behaviour.
“Our goal is to empower journalists to uphold truth, advocate for integrity, and safeguard democracy by promoting a culture of critical thinking, fact verification, and media literacy.”