2027:ECOWAS Trains Journalists, Wikipedia Editors On Electoral Disinformation Ahead Of Elections

…Commission says over 500 journalists trained across 12 member states as it pushes regional information integrity roadmap

By Bukar BOLORI

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has intensified efforts to combat electoral disinformation and strengthen information integrity across West Africa, with a capacity-building workshop for journalists and Wikipedia editors focusing on responsible journalism, fact-checking and open knowledge.

The workshop, themed “Strengthening Electoral Information Integrity through Responsible Journalism, Fact-Checking and Open Knowledge,” with participants drawn from the media, Wikipedia/Wikimedia community and information integrity sector.

Speaking on behalf of the Director of Communication of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Joel Ahofodji, Chukuemeka Ezekiel at the opening of the workshop, the Commission emphasised that information integrity had become a strategic necessity for democracy, public trust, peace and security, rather than merely a media concern.

Ahofodji welcomed the participants and expressed ECOWAS’s appreciation to the European Union for its continued partnership and support through the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.

He also commended FIAP for its collaboration in advancing the initiative.

He said the information landscape was evolving rapidly, with digital technologies expanding access to information and opportunities for public participation while creating new vulnerabilities through misinformation, deliberate disinformation, hate speech and manipulated digital content.

According to him, the emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has further intensified the challenge by making it easier to produce convincing but fabricated images, videos, audio recordings and narratives.

He warned that during elections, such content could distort public perception, undermine confidence in electoral institutions, deepen divisions and potentially trigger violence.

For ECOWAS, he said, protecting information integrity was inseparable from its mandate to promote democracy, good governance, peace and security across West Africa.

Outlining the Commission’s interventions, Ahofodji said ECOWAS was taking deliberate steps through its Directorate of Communication, in collaboration with member states, other ECOWAS institutions and development partners, to strengthen the regional response to disinformation.

He identified the ECOWAS Disinformation Working Group as one of the mechanisms established to promote regional coordination and bring relevant institutions and partners together to develop a coordinated approach to information integrity.

He disclosed that the group’s second meeting, held in Accra, Ghana, from October 15 to 16, 2026, focused on institutional coordination, capacity development, partnership alignment and the ECOWAS Information Integrity Roadmap 2026–2030.

The Commission has also intensified capacity-building programmes for journalists and media practitioners across member states, focusing on fact-checking, open-source intelligence, digital verification, digital safety, conflict-sensitive reporting, peace journalism and media literacy.

Ahofodji disclosed that ECOWAS had trained more than 500 journalists in 12 member states over the past year on countering misinformation and disinformation and their implications for peace and stability.

He further identified support for member states in establishing national response mechanisms as another component of the regional strategy.

A notable example, he said, was ECOWAS’s strategic support to The Gambia in establishing the National Misinformation and Disinformation Response Centre, which was inaugurated in April 2026.

The centre provides a platform for real-time fact-checking, early warning and media and information literacy.

He also highlighted the ECOWAS Inter-Institutional Communication Strategy 2026–2030 and the Information and Communication Policy, finalised in February 2026, as frameworks aimed at improving institutional coordination, ensuring coherent communication and strengthening public engagement and trust.

The Commission, he added, was deepening partnerships with the European Union, the German Government, GIZ, FIAP and regional media organisations to advance fact-checking, information sharing and collaborative initiatives.

However, Ahofodji stressed that efforts to counter disinformation must respect fundamental rights, freedom of expression, media independence and access to information.

He cautioned that countering disinformation must never become an excuse for censorship or the suppression of legitimate public debate, emphasising that the objective was to empower citizens with credible information to make informed decisions.

Addressing participating journalists, the ECOWAS representative described the media as strategic partners in communicating the work of the Community and helping citizens understand developments in democracy, peace, security and regional integration.

He said their responsibilities extended beyond reporting official activities to providing accurate context, challenging false narratives and strengthening public understanding.

According to him, credibility remains journalism’s greatest asset, warning that speed without verification and sensationalism without context could undermine public confidence and have serious consequences.

He, therefore, urged journalists to make verification an uncompromising professional standard by verifying sources, carefully examining digital content, and exercising particular responsibility when reporting elections, political transitions, and security developments.

Ahofodji also highlighted the importance of the participation of Wikipedia and Wikimedia editors, saying collaboration between professional journalists and the open-knowledge community would help make reliable and properly sourced information about ECOWAS and democratic developments in West Africa more accessible.

He noted that while journalism provides credible reporting, responsible Wikipedia editing helps preserve and disseminate verified knowledge.

He encouraged participants to use the two-day workshop to share experiences, strengthen professional networks and develop practical Take Action Plans that would translate the knowledge acquired into improved newsroom practices, stronger fact-checking initiatives and responsible public information activities.

Ahofodji maintained that the fight against information disorder could not be won by ECOWAS alone, requiring the commitment of journalists, governments, electoral institutions, civil society organisations, technology platforms, researchers, fact-checkers and citizens.

He called for collective efforts to ensure that information strengthens democracy rather than undermines it, promotes understanding rather than division, and consolidates peace rather than fuels conflict.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with partners and stakeholders to build a resilient regional information environment that strengthens democratic governance, public trust and the aspirations of the Community under ECOWAS Vision 2050.

He urged participants to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of the workshop but as indispensable partners in advancing the regional vision.

He said truth, verification, professional ethics and public interest must remain central to their work, describing information integrity as fundamental to democratic strength, the preservation of peace and the future of West Africa.

He wished participants fruitful deliberations and a successful two-day workshop.