CJID Trains Kebbi Educators on Countering Misinformation and Disinformation

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By Shamsiya Mahe Gwandu 

 

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, in collaboration with DUBAWA Nigeria and with support from the European Union, has trained educators in Kebbi State on ways of countering misinformation and disinformation.

The two-day capacity-building training, held in Birnin Kebbi, brought together teachers from secondary schools and lecturers from tertiary institutions across the state.

 

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the training, Project Manager of DUBAWA Nigeria, Temilade Onilede, said misinformation and disinformation remained a major challenge in Nigeria, particularly during health emergencies such as the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the spread of false information could fuel insecurity, create confusion and contribute to communal conflicts.

 

Temilade Onilede explained that the training was designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to identify, verify and debunk false information before it causes harm.

She said the participants were selected because of their close contact with young people, stressing that they were expected to pass the knowledge acquired to their students, colleagues and communities.

 

Also speaking, CJID Communications Officer, Olawuyi Oyewusi, said the project aimed at creating awareness on practical ways of identifying false information, especially among young people who are considered vulnerable to information disorder.

He said the organisers would use radio, television and social media to take the message to communities, including those in remote areas of the North-West.

 

Oyewusi urged the participants to apply the knowledge gained and help change the narrative on information verification in their respective communities.

Some participants, including the Principal of Kebbi Capital College International, Hadiza Mika’ilu, and the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Jamilu Mohammed Magaji, expressed appreciation to the organisers.

They pledged to apply the knowledge acquired in verifying information before sharing it and to step down the training to their students, colleagues and members of the public.

Institutions represented at the training included Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu and Kebbi Capital College International, among others.