ECOWAS, EU, FIAP OPEN TRAINING FOR JOURNALISTS, WIKIPEDIA EDITORS ON ELECTORAL DISINFORMATION IN LAGOS’ Protecting Information Integrity Inseparable From Democracy, Peace And Regional Stability. Mr Ahofodji By Elizabeth Weje

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the European Union (EU) and FIAP, has opened a two-day capacity-building workshop for journalists covering ECOWAS and Wikipedia editors, with a call for stronger collaboration to combat electoral disinformation and protect information integrity across West Africa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the Director of Communication, ECOWAS Commission, Mr Joel Ahofodji, said protecting information integrity was inseparable from the regional body’s mandate to promote democracy, good governance, peace and security.

Ahofodji, who delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Directorate of Communication, said the increasing spread of misinformation, deliberate disinformation, hate speech and manipulated digital content posed growing threats to democratic institutions, public confidence and regional stability.

The workshop, holding at Shoregate Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State, from November 10 to 11, is themed “Strengthening Electoral Information Integrity through Responsible Journalism, Fact-Checking and Open Knowledge.”

He expressed the ECOWAS Commission’s appreciation to the European Union for its continued partnership and support through the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, while commending FIAP for collaborating on the initiative.

According to him, the emergence of generative artificial intelligence has further complicated the information environment by making it easier to produce convincing but fabricated images, videos, audio recordings and narratives capable of distorting public perception, undermining confidence in electoral institutions and potentially triggering violence.

“For ECOWAS, therefore, protecting information integrity is inseparable from our mandate to promote democracy, good governance, peace and security across West Africa,” he said.

Highlighting the Commission’s response to the challenge, Ahofodji identified regional coordination, professional capacity development, national response mechanisms and stronger institutional communication as key components of ECOWAS’ strategy.

He disclosed that the Commission was promoting regional coordination through the ECOWAS Disinformation Working Group, which brings together relevant institutions and development partners to strengthen collective action against disinformation.

He cited the group’s second meeting, held in Accra, Ghana, from October 15 to 16, 2026, where discussions focused on institutional coordination, capacity development, partnership alignment and the ECOWAS Information Integrity Roadmap 2026–2030.

The ECOWAS communications Director further revealed that the Commission had trained more than 500 journalists in 12 Member States over the past year on countering misinformation and disinformation and their implications for peace and stability.

He said the training programmes covered fact-checking, open-source intelligence, digital verification, digital safety, conflict-sensitive reporting, peace journalism and media literacy.

On national response mechanisms, Ahofodji highlighted ECOWAS’ strategic support to The Gambia in establishing its National Misinformation and Disinformation Response Centre, inaugurated in April 2026.

He explained that the centre provides a platform for real-time fact-checking, early warning and media and information literacy.

He also identified the ECOWAS Inter-Institutional Communication Strategy 2026–2030 and the Information and Communication Policy, finalised in February 2026, as important frameworks for improving institutional coordination, ensuring coherent communication and strengthening public engagement and trust.

Ahofodji added that ECOWAS was deepening partnerships with the European Union, the German Government, GIZ, FIAP and regional media organisations to advance fact-checking, information sharing and collaborative initiatives.

However, he stressed that efforts to counter disinformation must respect fundamental rights, freedom of expression, media independence and access to information, warning that the fight against false information should not become an excuse for censorship or the suppression of legitimate public debate.

“Our objective is to empower citizens with credible information to make informed decisions,” he emphasised.

Addressing the participating journalists, Ahofodji described them as strategic partners in communicating the work of the Community and helping citizens understand developments in democracy, peace, security and regional integration.

He urged media practitioners to go beyond reporting official activities by providing accurate context, challenging false narratives and strengthening public understanding of regional developments.

“Credibility remains the greatest asset of journalism. Speed without verification and sensationalism without context can undermine public confidence and have serious consequences,” he said.

He therefore urged journalists to make verification an uncompromising professional standard, particularly when reporting elections, political transitions and security developments.

The ECOWAS official also acknowledged the contribution of Wikipedia and Wikimedia editors, noting that collaboration between professional journalists and the open-knowledge community would help make reliable and properly sourced information about ECOWAS and democratic developments in West Africa more accessible.

He encouraged participants to use the two-day workshop to exchange experiences, strengthen professional networks and develop practical action plans capable of improving newsroom practices, fact-checking initiatives and responsible public information activities.

Ahofodji maintained that the responsibility for safeguarding information integrity could not rest with ECOWAS alone, calling for coordinated action involving journalists, governments, electoral institutions, civil society organisations, technology platforms, researchers, fact-checkers and citizens.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with partners and stakeholders to build a resilient regional information environment that strengthens democratic governance, public trust and the aspirations of the West African Community under ECOWAS Vision 2050.

He urged participants to regard themselves not merely as beneficiaries of the workshop but as indispensable partners in advancing the region’s information integrity agenda.

The two-day workshop is expected to strengthen professional capacity, promote responsible journalism, improve fact-checking practices and deepen collaboration between mainstream media practitioners and the Wikipedia/Wikimedia community in addressing electoral disinformation across West Africa.