EU launches project to counter disinformation in North-West Nigeria

The European Union (EU) has launched an 18-month project to stop the spread of disinformation in Nigeria’s North-West. The project, tagged ‘Countering Disinformation and Empowering Democracy in Northwestern Nigeria,’ will be implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and designed to strengthen the region’s information ecosystem and support democratic resilience. In a […]

The European Union (EU) has launched an 18-month project to stop the spread of disinformation in Nigeria’s North-West.

The project, tagged ‘Countering Disinformation and Empowering Democracy in Northwestern Nigeria,’ will be implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and designed to strengthen the region’s information ecosystem and support democratic resilience.

In a statement, the EU stated that Northern Nigeria today sits at the convergence of multiple vulnerabilities, including insecurity, displacement, economic hardship, youth frustration, porous borders, and rapidly evolving digital communication systems.

“In such environments, disinformation increasingly contributes to fear, mistrust, communal tensions, democratic erosion, and insecurity.”

It said the project will focus on five high-risk states – Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger and will deploy a multisectoral approach involving media practitioners, civil society organisations, security agencies, community leaders, and digital influencers.

Xenia Stoll, Political Officer at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said, “The project directly addresses the surge in disinformation and harmful narratives that frequently trigger violence across the Northwest. Its core strategy is to strengthen information integrity and foster peaceful coexistence by neutralising harmful narratives before they escalate.”

Stoll stated that disinformation and information manipulation are not only communications issues but are also used as tactics for destabilising societies and inciting violence and conflict.

“They limit the possibility of engaging in constructive, informed dialogue. We need to take these threats seriously. We need fact-checking and critical thinking. I know that the EU initiative will contribute to resilience and media literacy in Northwestern Nigeria,” the official said.

The Executive Director of CJID, Akintunde Babatunde, reaffirmed its commitment to promoting credible information, strengthening democratic participation, and fostering peaceful coexistence across Nigeria through innovation-driven media development initiatives.

He said as part of the intervention, CJID will train teachers as frontline media literacy educators, strengthen the verification and conflict-sensitive reporting capacity of journalists and broadcasters, establish campus fact-checking and reporting networks, and engage community stakeholder groups, including religious leaders and traditional rulers.