FIAP and FactCheckAfrica Convene Lagos Regional Workshop to Strengthen Media and Civil Society Capacity for Democratic and Peaceful Elections in Nigeria
Under the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project
Lagos, Nigeria – The Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), through its implementing frontline partner FactCheckAfrica, has convened a three-day regional capacity-building workshop in Lagos aimed at strengthening the role of journalists, fact-checkers, and civil society organisations in promoting democratic and peaceful elections in Nigeria.
The workshop, titled “Truth at the Ballot: Strengthening Media and Civil Society for Democratic and Peaceful Elections in Nigeria”, is being held from 22–24 June 2026 under Activity 3.1.5a(2)i of the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.
The Lagos workshop brings together 35 participants drawn from Nigeria’s South-West and South-East geopolitical zones, including journalists, fact-checkers, civic actors, researchers, media development practitioners, and civil society representatives working at the intersection of information integrity, democratic accountability, and electoral peacebuilding.
The training focuses on strengthening participants’ capacity to respond to electoral misinformation, hate speech, coordinated online manipulation, and emerging artificial intelligence-related risks ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming electoral contests, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as the 2027 general elections.
Over the course of the workshop, participants will engage in practical sessions on pre-electoral context analysis, verification and fact-checking, open-source intelligence (OSINT), digital investigations, hate speech and narrative analysis, gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive reporting, investigative journalism and democratic accountability, and safe journalism practices during elections.
The workshop also incorporates hands-on simulations, verification exercises, scenario-based group work, and action-planning sessions designed to support participants in translating learning into concrete organisational and community-level interventions.
Beyond strengthening technical skills, the workshop provides a platform for collaboration and peer learning among media and civil society actors committed to safeguarding democratic processes, strengthening public trust in information, and promoting peaceful civic participation.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, FactCheckAfrica noted that the increasing sophistication of misinformation campaigns, coordinated influence operations, and online hate speech requires stronger collaboration between journalists, fact-checkers, and civil society organisations.
According to Abideen Olasupo, Founder of FactCheckAfrica, the workshop forms part of a broader effort to build resilient information ecosystems capable of supporting peaceful and credible elections.
“As Nigeria moves closer to key electoral milestones, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the 2027 general elections, strengthening the capacity of journalists and civil society actors to identify, verify, and counter harmful information has become more important than ever. Through this initiative, we are supporting a network of professionals who can promote evidence-based public discourse, strengthen democratic accountability, and contribute to peaceful elections,” he said.
The Lagos regional workshop represents the second phase of the regional capacity-building programme being implemented by FactCheckAfrica under the EPSG Project, following a similar training held in Abuja for participants from Northern Nigeria.
Both workshops will be followed by a structured mentoring and advisory support programme designed to assist participating organisations in applying lessons learned through newsroom reforms, verification initiatives, civic education campaigns, and collaborative interventions aimed at strengthening information integrity.
This workshop is organised by Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) in collaboration with FactCheckAfrica, under the framework of the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.
The Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) is the Spanish Cooperation entity specialised in promoting the participation of public administrations in Spanish and European cooperation programmes and projects. FIAP supports the development of public systems in more than 120 countries by mobilising public sector expertise to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience between counterpart institutions from different countries. As a public foundation, FIAP’s work forms part of Spain’s and Europe’s external action.
FIAP is currently co-implementing Component 3 of the EPSG Project in West Africa with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), focusing on strengthening electoral processes through the prevention of electoral violence and the countering of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
The overall objective of the EPSG Project is to enhance peace, security, and governance within the ECOWAS region. The project is a multi-donor initiative co-financed by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MOFA).
For media inquiries: FactCheckAfrica
Website: https://factcheckafrica.net/
Email: factcheckelections@gmail.com
Telephone: +2347068775529
