BY: Mustapha Lawal
The Africa Facts Summit, commenced today in Accra, Ghana, bringing together leading fact-checkers, media experts, and policy advocates from across the continent.
Organized under the theme, “Combating Disinformation in the Age of Misinformation: Strategic Responses for Africa’s Information Ecosystem,” this summit seeks to tackle the rising menace of disinformation and its destabilizing effects on the continent.
The summit, co-hosted by Africa Check, Dubawa, and FactSpace West Africa, will highlight the innovative approaches being used to safeguard our society against false narratives and misinformation.
Disinformation, amplified by the rapid growth of social media and digital platforms, continues to undermine political stability, social cohesion, and public trust across Africa.
This summit aims to strategize around collective actions, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration to protect the credibility of information and enhance the role of fact-checkers in creating a resilient information ecosystem.
The event will feature a series of panel discussions, workshops, and training sessions on cutting-edge fact-checking tools, AI-driven solutions for verifying digital content, and best practices for media literacy. There will also be a focus on addressing cross-border disinformation campaigns, particularly during election periods, a growing concern in African democracies.
Notably, representatives from organizations like FactCheckAfrica, alongside regional fact-checking bodies, will present their initiatives, findings, and collaborative efforts to strengthen information credibility on the continent.
A major highlight for FactCheckAfrica at this year’s summit is the chance to share our groundbreaking efforts in tackling misinformation across Africa, including our advanced AI-powered fact-checking tool, myaifactchecker.org, designed to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of fact-checking.
This innovative solution is a game-changer in addressing the rising tide of disinformation, empowering Africans to verify facts faster and more reliably across the continent.
Habeeb Adisa, the Head of Programs at FactCheckAfrica expressed how important the summit is in representation of our commitment to fighting disinformation and promoting truth.
“It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration, and we’re here to learn, share, and continue pushing the boundaries of fact-checking across the continent” he commented.
Expectations and Key Highlights:
- Collaborative Initiatives: One of the summit’s key objectives is to foster cross-border collaborations among fact-checking organizations. The hope is that African fact-checkers can form stronger networks to tackle regional disinformation campaigns more effectively, particularly during sensitive times like elections.
- Capacity Building: Attendees will engage in hands-on training on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, AI-powered verification techniques, and digital literacy programs, empowering fact-checkers with the skills and knowledge to better tackle complex misinformation and disinformation.
- Policy Development: A critical part of the discussions will focus on developing robust policies to address the spread of false information. Governments and civil society will work together to create frameworks that both safeguard free speech and hold accountable those who spread harmful disinformation.
With the summit’s agenda tightly packed with meaningful discussions, practical workshops, and real-time strategy-building sessions, the Africa Facts Summit promises to be a pivotal moment for shaping Africa’s response to the growing disinformation crisis.
Fact-checkers, journalists, media professionals, and policymakers are all eagerly awaiting the outcomes that will chart the way forward in the battle for truth and transparency in Africa’s digital age.
