The Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) Fee and the Centre for Democracy and Improvement (CDD West Africa) have joined forces to fight the rising menace of misinformation and disinformation undermining democratic establishments.
The 2 organizations convened a high-level regional engagement in Lagos, bringing collectively policymakers, students, media consultants, and civil society leaders to develop methods to counter the unfold of false narratives that more and more manipulate politics, disrupt elections, and incite social unrest within the area.
Talking on the one-day occasion, Ebenezer Asiedu, Head of Democracy and Good Governance on the ECOWAS Fee, who represented Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Safety, emphasised the pressing want to handle the disinformation disaster.
“Misinformation and disinformation are direct threats to democratic stability. “ECOWAS is dedicated to reinforcing constructions that defend fact and transparency”, Asiedu said.
With a number of West African nations approaching crucial electoral cycles, members on the engagement highlighted the rising affect of disinformation campaigns, typically unfold through social media, in swaying public opinion, disrupting peaceable transitions, and eroding belief in democratic establishments.
Adiele Jinadu and Jubrin Ibrahim warned of the harmful implications of unchecked misinformation. They pressured the necessity for a united entrance involving governments, media organizations, tech firms, and civil society to successfully fight the unfold of faux information.
“Governments alone can’t sort out misinformation; we want an alliance of credible voices to safeguard the integrity of knowledge,” Ibrahim famous.
A key decision from the engagement was the pressing want to reinforce media and digital literacy throughout West Africa. Specialists argued that educating the general public on how one can establish and critically assess false info is the best technique to curb its unfold.
The workshop known as for higher funding in media literacy packages to assist the general public establish and problem false info. It additionally emphasised the necessity to set up regional fact-checking networks to confirm content material and curb the unfold of misinformation.
Moreover, members advocated for stronger insurance policies to carry purveyors of disinformation accountable for his or her actions.
Onyinye Onwuka, Appearing Director of the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate, additionally highlighted the significance of real-time monitoring and speedy response mechanisms to detect and counter false narratives, particularly throughout delicate durations like elections.
Whereas there was a consensus on the necessity to fight disinformation, stakeholders emphasised the significance of safeguarding press freedom and free speech.
ECOWAS officers assured members that efforts to sort out misinformation wouldn’t infringe upon democratic rights however would as a substitute be sure that the general public has entry to correct and dependable info.
The Lagos engagement concluded with a robust dedication from ECOWAS, CDD, and their companions to accentuate regional cooperation within the struggle towards disinformation, significantly as West Africa approaches a sequence of essential elections.
“This can be a name to motion. Solely by working collectively can we be sure that democracy thrives in West Africa, free from the shadow of falsehoods and manipulation”, Asiedu declared.