Nigerian editors will set up a fact-check desk in their various newsrooms to tackle fake news, and also establish disinformation counter groups ahead of 2027 elections.

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This is just as the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Gautier Mignot noted that for media professionals, particularly editors, “to remain credible and reliable, we have to fact-check to ensure that the information we spread is accurate.”

These were some of the high points of a one-day workshop organised by the European Union, EU, in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, in Lagos on Thursday.

At the event, the editors agreed that having Fact-Check Desk would help media organisations verify news hints, with the view to publishing only accurate information.

Guild President

Speaking at the workshop, President, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, Eze Anaba, said: “The deliberate spread of false information, whether through disinformation, misinformation, or fabricated news, not only undermines public trust, but also threatens social cohesion, democratic governance, and national security.

“It is our hope that through informed discussions and shared insights, we will strengthen our individual and institutional capacities to identify, counter, and prevent the spread of false narratives.”

Key decisions

Other resolutions reached at the workshop were that media organisations should organise trainings for their newsroom managers and line editors on fact-checking;

That the Guild should set up disinformation counter groups across its zonal structures, ahead of 2027 general election;

Media organisations should collaborate and reach out to each other to verify information;

Media organisations should look at the quality of their Online Editors to ensure that experienced and well-grounded journalist man the positions, and

The Guild should use its other bigger platforms to address issues bordering on fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

Mignot

Furthermore, Mr. Mignot said that the EU was taking a multi-pronged approach to address the threats posed by misleading information, which he described as a “danger to democracy and public trust”.

According to him, “The European Union is actively working to combat disinformation and promote media literacy, with fact-checking playing a crucial role in these efforts.

“Our choice of collaborating with the Nigerian Guild of Editors on this programme is part and parcel of this general effort.

“We recognise the critical role of editors as the last line in the gatekeeping process. The editor is ultimately responsible for what is pushed into the public space as content.”

The EU ambassador warned that the spread of misleading information – whether unintentional or deliberate, posed a threat to democratic governance and public trust.

Citing a July 2024 European Parliament Report, Mignot noted that 85 per cent of people globally worry about disinformation’s impact, while 38 per cent of EU citizens now see it as a threat to democracy.

He outlined the EU’s ongoing efforts to counter these threats globally, including the European Digital Media Observatory, EDMO; the Rapid Alert System, RAS, and the EUvsDisinfo platform.

Other interventions cited by the ambassador include direct training support for Nigerian journalists, including visits to Europe and Ukraine, and active engagement with students and civil society organisations.

Resource persons

The EU/NGE workshop for editors had two resources person: Three topics were treated at the programme by Mr. Azu Isiekwene, Senior Vice Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, LEADERSHIP Newspapers, and Dr. David Ajikobi, Executive Director, Africa Check.

The resource persons treated such topics as: “Principles of Fact-Checking: Understanding the Role of Editors in Fact-checking and the Principles of Accuracy, Fairness, and Transparency”; “Identifying Misinformation and Disinformation: Analyzing Examples of Misinformation, Desinformation and Fake News”, and “Fact-Checking Tools and Resources: Overview of Fact-checking Tools; Analyzing Complex Fact-checking Scenarios”.

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