By Chinedum Treasure
A total of 35 journalists, fact-checkers and civil society actors are participating in a three-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening democratic accountability and promoting peaceful elections in Nigeria.
The training, organised by Fundación para la Internacionalización de las
Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) through its implementing partner, FactCheckAfrica, brought together participants from the South-East and South-West geopolitical zones.
The workshop, titled “Truth at the Ballot: Strengthening Media and Civil Society for Democratic and Peaceful Elections in Nigeria,” is being held in Lagos under the European Union Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.
Building capacity against misinformation
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, Technical Advisor on Media and Civil Society Organisations for the FIAP-EPSG Project, Joseph Osuigwe, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the role of journalists, fact-checkers and CSOs in promoting credible and peaceful electoral processes.
He explained that the training focuses on combating electoral misinformation, hate speech, coordinated online manipulation and emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence ahead of key elections, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls and the 2027 general elections.
According to him, participants will undergo practical sessions on pre-election context analysis, verification and fact-checking, open-source intelligence (OSINT), digital investigations, hate speech monitoring and narrative analysis.
Other areas include gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive reporting, investigative journalism, democratic accountability and safety practices for journalists covering elections.
Practical learning and collaboration
Osuigwe noted that the workshop features hands-on simulations, verification exercises, scenario-based group activities and action-planning sessions aimed at helping participants apply their knowledge within their organisations and communities.
He added that the programme also provides an avenue for collaboration and peer learning among media and civil society stakeholders committed to protecting democratic processes and strengthening public trust in information.
Promoting credible elections
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Abideen Olasupo said the growing sophistication of misinformation campaigns, coordinated influence operations and online hate speech requires stronger partnerships among journalists, fact-checkers and civil society organisations.
Represented by researcher and fact-checker Mustapha Lawal, Olasupo described the workshop as part of broader efforts to build resilient information ecosystems capable of supporting credible and peaceful elections.
“As Nigeria approaches critical electoral milestones, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the 2027 general elections, strengthening the capacity of journalists and civil society actors to identify, verify and counter harmful information has become more important than ever,” he said.
He added that the initiative would help develop a network of professionals capable of promoting evidence-based public discourse, enhancing democratic accountability and contributing to peaceful elections across the country.
Tags: FIAP, FactCheckAfrica, Elections, Media, Civil Society Organizations
