Youths powerful champions of information integrity, peaceful democracy – FactCheckAfrica

By Praise Chinecherem

FactCheckAfrica has called for empowerment of young creators with the right skills, tools and networks to become powerful champions of information integrity and peaceful democratic participation.

Founder of FactCheckAfrica, Abideen Olasupo made the call during a two-day national exhibition and youth engagement programme by The Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), through its implementing frontline partner FactCheckAfrica

The exhibition, titled “#CheckBeforeYouPost: Gen Z Voices Against Disinformation,” was held from 6–7 August 2026 in Abuja, under the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.

Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Abideen said the exhibition was aimed at showcasing creative, youth-led responses to misinformation, disinformation, and harmful online narratives ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

According to him, the exhibition demonstrated the important role young Nigerians can play in addressing information disorder.

“Young people are not just audiences in today’s information ecosystem; they are creators, distributors and influential voices shaping public conversations every day.

“The #CheckBeforeYouPost initiative demonstrates that when young creators are equipped with the right skills, tools and networks, they can become powerful champions of information integrity and peaceful democratic participation,” he added.

FactCheckAfrica boss added that the initiative would continue beyond the exhibition through collaboration and practical application of the skills and resources developed by the participants.

The exhibition marked an important milestone in the broader #CheckBeforeYouPost intervention, bringing together outputs and experiences from the Lagos, Enugu and Kano training cohorts and creating a platform for participants to move from individual learning towards collective action.

Through the programme, participating creators are expected to continue using their platforms to promote responsible online behaviour, encourage audiences to verify information before sharing, challenge harmful narratives, and support informed civic participation as Nigeria approaches the 2027 electoral cycle.

The event also reinforced the importance of collaboration between young creators, journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organisations, development partners and regional institutions in building a healthier information ecosystem capable of supporting peaceful and credible democratic processes.

The exhibition was organised by the Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) in collaboration with FactCheckAfrica, under the framework of the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.

The event brought together young social media influencers, content creators, digital communicators, civic actors, civil society representatives, development partners, journalists, and other stakeholders to celebrate and amplify youth-led approaches to strengthening information integrity and promoting peaceful democratic participation.

The participants were drawn from three regional #CheckBeforeYouPost Social Media Influencer Training Camps organised in Lagos, Enugu, and Kano, where young creators received training on electoral integrity, misinformation and disinformation, responsible digital engagement, fact-checking, ethical content creation, and peace-oriented communication.

The Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) is the Spanish Cooperation entity specialised in promoting the participation of public administrations in Spanish and European cooperation programmes and projects.

FIAP supports the development of public systems in more than 120 countries by mobilising public sector expertise to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience between counterpart institutions from different countries.

As a public foundation, FIAP’s work forms part of Spain’s and Europe’s external action. FIAP is currently co-implementing Component 3 of the EPSG Project in West Africa with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), focusing on strengthening electoral processes through the prevention of electoral violence and the countering of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.

The overall objective of the EPSG Project is to enhance peace, security, and governance within the ECOWAS region. The project is a multi-donor initiative co-financed by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MOFA).