DUBAWA, DAIDAC launch project to combat disinformation, boost peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria

Amidst the surge of foreign-sponsored disinformation threatening national stability, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched a media literacy initiative, deploying diverse strategies to strengthen community peace in Northern Nigeria. 

The initiative, tagged “Strengthening digital resilience and community peace through media literacy, local radio empowerment, and counter-disinformation campaigns,” is managed by the organisation’s information verification programme, DUBAWA, in collaboration with its information disorder analysis department, the Digital Tech, AI, & Disinformation Analysis Centre (DAIDAC).

The project, with support of the Canadian government through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), focuses on promoting inclusive governance and security in Kano and Plateau States.

Different states in Northern Nigeria, battling high poverty, youth unemployment, high illiteracy, and religious intolerance, have become fertile ground for sophisticated foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns. 

These narratives are often channelled through digital platforms like TikTok and Telegram, designed to exploit social divisions, incite unrest, and undermine democratic processes.

“We can’t win the fight against disinformation from newsrooms alone,” said Akintunde Babatunde, executive director of the Centre. “Communities are the first responders to truth. They are where false narratives take root, but also where trust can be rebuilt.”

“By engaging faith leaders, youth groups, and local influencers, we are moving the conversation from abstract policy debates to everyday realities, helping people see that information integrity isn’t exclusively a media issue, but rather, a community survival issue. Our goal is to build societies that are less reactive to falsehood and more resilient in the face of manipulation,” he added

Running from November 2025, the project will implement a multi-pronged strategy focused on building foundational resilience from the community level upwards. Key activities include conducting community-based media and digital literacy workshops for youth groups, women leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, ward heads, and local leaders in the state, as well as developing culturally relevant materials to promote accurate information in Hausa and English.

Through this initiative, CJID will train community leaders, youth representatives, women’s groups, media professionals, and civil society actors via town hall engagements and capacity-building sessions to discuss how misinformation and disinformation affect peace and social cohesion, and how communities can build resilience through media literacy and responsible communication. 

Signed:

Akintunde Babatunde