IPC Mulls Training of 1,000 Fact-checkers Before 2027 Elections

A media capacity-building organisation, the International Press Centre (IPC -Nigeria), has announced plans to recruit full-time fact-checkers and freelance journalists as well as train 1,000 fact-checkers across 36 states of the country before the 2027 general elections.

The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, made this known in Abuja at the unveiling of the iVerify Nigeria Platform powered by the IPC in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He stated that the iVerify project which was supported by the government is meant to strengthen the fight against misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, and fake news, while also promoting information integrity around election, governance, and democratic processes in Nigeria.

He explained that the project was aimed at strengthening efforts against information disorder, particularly in the context of electoral and democratic processes.

Arogundade noted that IPC has already started optimising the platform, stressing that the platform uses a tech-savvy fact-checking tool with a human element.

He said fact-checkers are overseen by senior journalists to ensure adherence to professional standards.

Arogundade stated: “The core objective is to establish a technology-driven platform, provide capacity building for journalists in fact-checking electoral information, promote media literacy, and engage in public enlightenment to combat information disorder. Collaboration is key to advocating for a credible environment in information dissemination.

“There are plans to recruit full-time fact checkers, freelance journalists, and training of 1,000 fact checkers across 36 states before the 2027 elections.”

Also speaking, the Resident Representative of the UNDP, Mr. Lealem Dinku, said the iVerify Nigeria platform concept was conceived by the UNDP as a mechanism to promote information integrity around the election, governance, and democratic processes in Nigeria.

He said that the imperative of this project was to deepen democratic culture in Nigeria by converting the negative influence of the proliferation of information disorder in the nation’s polity, especially during the electioneering period.

Dinku noted that the advancement in technology and digital transformation in recent years is adding positive value to human development.

He said nonetheless, the advantage of the technological progress was being degraded by the misuse of social media to create needless tension and sometimes violence in the society.

Dinku added: “Social media is often awash with disinformation, misinformation and hate speech which hampers citizen’s ability to make an informed decision about events that affect their life and well-being.

“The government is grappling with the myriad implications of the misuse of social and to curb its menace as an effort to lessen the misuse of social media has been resisted by stakeholders including media practitioners.

“The inability of the government to deal decisively with the menace of information disorder occasioned by social media through legal framework is not limited to Nigeria alone: it is a global issue.

“The spate of information disorder must be checked this is what the iVerify Nigeria project sets out to achieve. We must all rally around it to ensure its success through moral, financial, and technical support.”

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, urged Nigerians to halt the spread of fake news as it could incite violence.

Yakubu, represented by INEC Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mary Nkem, said hate speech could undermine democratic values, and core principles of democracy, such as respect for human rights, and create tension in the society.