EDITORS VS. FAKE NEWS: NIGERIA’S NEW FACT-CHECK FORCE IS HERE

EDITORS VS. FAKE NEWS: NIGERIA’S NEW FACT-CHECK FORCE IS HERE

Ready to ghost those viral rumours? Nigeria’s top editors are suiting up with fresh Fact-Check Desks in newsrooms nationwide, aiming to zap fake news before it floods your feed.
Fresh from a power-packed workshop in Lagos by the EU and Nigerian Guild of Editors, these truth warriors are rolling out trainings, forming “truth troops” ahead of 2027 elections, and teaming up across media houses to stop bogus stories in their tracks. Only seasoned journalists get the online editor’s chair—no rookies spreading rumours here!
EU’s Ambassador Gautier Mignot warns fake news is no joke—it’s a real threat to democracy. With misinformation flying faster than ever across texts, memes, and videos, fact-checking isn’t just smart, it’s survival.
NGE President Eze Anaba echoes the call: credibility is on the line, and editors must lead the fact-fighting charge with sharp tools and sharper instincts.
Bottom line? Nigeria’s newsrooms are fighting fake news with facts

FACT-CHECK FRENZY: NIGERIAN EDITORS LAUNCH DEFENCE AGAINST FAKE NEWS

FACT-CHECK FRENZY: NIGERIAN EDITORS LAUNCH DEFENCE AGAINST FAKE NEWS

Is Nigeria about to say goodbye to fake news? Not quite, but the nation’s top editors are rolling up their sleeves and sharpening their pencils—ready to spot fibs faster than you can say “viral WhatsApp forward.”

Tired of all the “I heard it on Twitter, so it must be true” headlines? So are Nigeria’s editors, who’ve just resolved to set up Fact-Check Desks in newsrooms nationwide. The move comes hot off the press from a one-day workshop in Lagos, thrown by the European Union (EU) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). Their goal? To stop misinformation and disinformation dead in its tracks—ideally before that next wild headline hits your family group chat.

After lively debates (and probably a few “Did that really happen?” moments), the editors agreed on a bunch of straight-shooting measures. These include setting up new fact-check desks in newsrooms—think of it as a superhero squad for truth;
mandatory trainings for editors and newsroom chiefs in the art of busting bogus claims; and special NGE “truth troops” deployed across the country to counter disinformation, especially as the 2027 elections loom.

Other measures include more collaboration between media organizations to sniff out and verify stories before they’re published; promoting only seasoned, sharp-journalist types to the role of Online Editor—no room for rookie rumour-mongers here; and using the Guild’s big platforms to tackle the notorious hydra of fake news, from all angles.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, didn’t mince words: fake news isn’t just annoying, it’s a “danger to democracy and public trust.” And he’s got the stats—85% of people globally are worried about the impact of disinformation, and 38% of EU citizens now see it as a direct threat to democracy, according to a July 2024 European Parliament report.
Mignot emphasized that while tech helps us connect, it also turbo-charges deception: “Both falsehoods and accurate information can now spread faster and in a multitude of formats—text, audio, images, memes, and videos, all thanks to technology.”
NGE President Eze Anaba joined in, warning that peddling falsehoods doesn’t just fool people—it shakes the very foundations of society, democracy, and national security. “If we want to remain credible and reliable, we have to fact-check to ensure that the information we spread is accurate,” he said.

The day wasn’t all talk. Attendees got hands-on with sessions led by Mr. Azu Isiekwene (LEADERSHIP Newspapers) and Dr. David Ajikobi (Africa Check) on:

• Fact-checking principles and why editors must lead the charge.
• Spotting misinformation and analyzing real-life fakes.
• Fact-checking tools, from the basic to the high-tech.

With these new Fact-Check Desks and bolder collaboration, Nigerian newsrooms are setting their sights on a cleaner, meaner information space—proving, perhaps, that in the age of viral chaos, the best defense is a good, old-fashioned editor with a nose for nonsense.

#FactsOverFibs #StopFakeNews #NigerianEditors #MediaLiteracy #DisinformationDefences for editors and newsroom