The ECOWAS Commission on Tuesday reiterated its firm commitment to strengthening strategic communication, democratic resilience and responsible digital governance across Nigeria’s space.
Francis Ezekiel of the directorate of communication at the commission, gave this assurance in Lagos at the ongoing Meeting of Nigerian Regulators on Information Integrity in the context of the forthcoming 2027 elections.
The two-day meeting which brought Nigerian regulators, development partners and civil society organisations together was to deliberate on strategies to safeguard information integrity and avoid deepfakes, ahead of the country’s forthcoming elections.
Mr Ezekiel said, “In the last one year, the ECOWAS Commission in partnership with GIZ and the Media Foundation for West Africa have trained more than 500 journalists across the region in combating misinformation and understanding its impact on peace and stability in the region.
“ECOWAS has also organised its information and communication policy to address emerging challenges relating to social media, artificial intelligence, misinformation and disinformation. The broad participation of this meeting demonstrates a shared recognition that information integrity and challenges require collective action. It also requires stronger cooperation among government, regulators, media practitioners, civil society organisations and development partners.”
Mr Ezekiel said that Nigeria, as one of Africa’s largest democratic and digital spaces, played a central role in shaping information flows and public discourse across the continent. He said that the lessons and experiences emerging from Nigeria would, therefore, contribute significantly to broader regional responses on information integrity and democratic resilience.
He further stated that the Practical Guide for Regulatory Bodies, a policy guide which formed the basis of the meeting, was both timely and regular.
Mr Ezekiel said the guide provided practical guidance for regulators and stakeholders in addressing emerging risks within digital platforms and information ecosystem. He added that more importantly, the guide promoted transparency, accountability, institutional independence, multistakeholder collaboration and human rights-based approaches to digital governance.
Also, Lillian Seffer, a representative of GIZ Nigeria, underscored the need to properly address the twin challenges of disinformation and misinformation as it related to the forthcoming 2027 elections.
Ms Seffer said that misinformation and disinformation could lead to the collective disadvantage of Nigerian citizens, if left untackled.
“The discussion on properly addressing disinformation and misinformation is not just a technical issue, it is linked to democratic governance.
“Addressing disinformation is not a technical issue only. It is linked to trust, transparency, credible public communication and ultimately democratic governance. It acknowledges the systemic risks of citizens being disinformed to their collective disadvantage,” the GIZ official said.
The Practical Guide for Regulatory Bodies implementing the Praia Policy Framework is an offshoot of the Praia Regional Conference and aims to promote a coherent and integrated approach to information integrity policies.
Among others, it seeks to improve the governance of digital platforms while protecting human rights and to strengthen the resilience of populations to disinformation and hate speech.
It also promote inclusive access to information and data of public interest; and strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement in support of information integrity in West Africa and the Sahel.
(NAN)
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