SIDEC TRAINING: ANAMBRA INFORMATION COMMISSIONER CALLS FOR FACT CHECKING, OBJECTIVE REPORTAGE, PROMISES COLLABORATION

By Regina Igwebuike

Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), organized a 2-day training for government representatives, members of the media, community leaders to address a pressing challenge facing the democratic landscape of Anambra State: the rampant spread of disinformation, misinformation, fake news, and hate speech ahead of November 8 Gubernatorial election.

These harmful narratives threaten electoral integrity, erode trust in governance, and disproportionately impact vulnerable groups like women, youths and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

The training was held at Peackastel Hotel, Awka on September 17 and 18.

Speaking at the training, Dr. Law Mefor, Anambra Commissioner for Information, and the guest of honour, emphasizes the destructive capacity of modern communication, highlighting the importance of managing misinformation and fake news to prevent catastrophic consequences.

Dr. Mefor cited the example of a false alarm about a nuclear attack between the US and Russia, illustrating the potential for devastating outcomes if misinformation is not properly handled, noting the prevalence of hate speech on social media, particularly during elections, and warned that this trend could lead to unrest and violence.

Promising his ministry’s collaboration, the commissioner urged all, especially journalists to verify information before sharing it on social media to prevent the spread of misinformation and promote peaceful elections, stressing the need for politicians and citizens to avoid spreading hate speech and fake news to ensure peaceful elections, specifically referencing the November 8 election.

The Executive Director, SIDEC, Ugochi Agalaba-Ehiahuruike in her remarks, said that the training aimed at nurturing Community Truth Ambassadors, a pivotal initiative under SIDEC Project IMPACT: Inclusive Mobilization for Participation, Advocacy, and Civic Transformation, in partnership with Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, funded by UK-FCDO.

According to her, the gathering marks a significant step toward activating a robust network of Community Trust Ambassadors, grassroots champions poised to fact-check, counter harmful narratives, and foster safer, more inclusive civic spaces, particularly as Nigeria approaches pivotal electoral engagements.

“Through expert-led sessions, hands-on fact checking practice, role-plays, and collaborative roadmap development, we envision at least 30 participants leaving empowered to detect, report back to SIDEC Secretariat and combat disinformation. We anticipate strengthened digital and media literacy, especially benefiting women and PWDs in markets and communities,” she said.

The Lead Facilitator, Austin Aigbe, during his presentation on Understanding Fake News, Principles, Disinformation, and its Dangers to Peace and Democracy, emphasized that democracy is in danger in the information age, noting that fake news has spread far and wide, a major concern to authorities.

While urging the participants to actively investigate what they read and hear, he listed essential tools for fact checking to include: Fact checking process, Google Reverse Image Search, TinEye Reverse Image Search, InVid Video Data Viewer and YouTube Data Viewer for video verification.

Bruno Chinaecherem, Programme Manager, SIDEC speaking on Forms of Youth Participation said, “Youth participation is vital for equal representation and bringing new ideas into governance”.

He listed the obstacles and enablers of youth involvement as well as factors responsible for lack of youth participation in Nigeria, urging for youth engagement in action role.

The Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agu, commended SIDEC for organizing such impactful training, urging all, especially journalists to cultivate critical thinking, scrutinize details before publishing.

The Moderator of the training, Alfred Ajayi; the SIDEC Board Chairman and Director Institute of Social Policy UNIZIK Awka, Prof. Uche Collins Nwogwugwu, in their respective speeches highlighted the critical importance of managing misinformation, promoting responsible communication, and fostering a culture of truth and respect to prevent harm and ensure peaceful coexistence.

The training featured question and answer session, group discussion and group photograph, while presentation of certificates of participation formed the highpoint of the training.

Regina is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State