|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Graduating fellows at the Prof Kwame Karikari fellowship, a flagship initiative of DUBAWA, a West African fact-checking organisation, were celebrated at a debrief and award dinner on Nov. 15, 2023.
The event in Abuja concluded a six-month-long project to train journalists to add fact-checking to their professional activities. Present at the event was the ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Juan Sel; Akintunde Babatunde, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)’s programme director; Adebimpe Abodunde, Director of Operations at the CJID; David Ajikobi, Africa Check’s editor, among other dignitaries.
Tobi Oluwatola and Kemi Busari, CJID’s executive director and DUBAWA’s editor, respectively, joined the programme virtually and praised the graduating fellows for their unwavering dedication to upholding journalistic integrity during the training.
The ceremony commenced with a welcome speech from Mr Babatunde, who highlighted the significance of fact-checking in today’s media landscape and CJID’s commitment to propagate media literacy across the West African region.
One of the highlights of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Mr Sel, who emphasised the critical role fact-checking plays in preserving the public’s trust in the media. He mentioned the responsibility that comes with the power of disseminating information and commended the CJID for its commitment to accuracy and accountability.
Prior to the presentation of certificates, graduating fellows present at the event physically and virtually from other West African countries also revealed that the programme improved their commitment to information verification.
Awards for impact
Three outstanding fellows were recognised for their exceptional achievements. Ibrahim Adeyemi claimed the top spot, receiving the first-place award for his election misinformation-focused fact-check, while Kabir Yusuf secured the second position. Varney Dukuly, from Liberia, earned the third-place award. In his acceptance speech, Ibrahim Adeyemi expressed gratitude for the fellowship’s transformative experience in navigating the evolving media landscape.
The DUBAWA Kwame Karikari Fellowship stands as CJID’s commitment to honing the fact-checking skills of established journalists in West Africa, empowering them to navigate the complex landscape of misinformation and disinformation.
Moments in pictures
