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Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections, FIAP, through its implementing partner FactCheckAfrica, has trained journalists, broadcasters, editors, fact-checkers and other media practitioners to produce accurate, ethical and inclusive election information in native languages
The three-day training program, held from October 13 to 15, 2026, in Akwa Ibom State, brought together 25 participants, including Arinze Chijioke of Ripples Nigeria for hands-on sessions on misinformation, election terminology, translation accuracy, verification and ethical reporting.
This program is implemented under the European Union Support to ECOWAS Project on Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG), Thematic Area 1: Mis/Disinformation, Fact Checking and AI Learning.
Addressing Election Misinformation in Indigenous Languages
In his opening speech, Program Lead at FactCheck Africa, Mustapha Lawal, said the training was intended to address the growing importance of native language communication in Nigeria’s election information environment, where citizens rely on radio, social media, voting records, community networks and interpersonal communication to access information.
He said that participants will examine how misinformation and disinformation spread through formal media channels and informal communication networks, especially how meaning can change when information is translated, summarized, transmitted or reproduced in different contexts.
During the training, participants explored common forms of election misinformation, including fabricated announcements, misleading election dates, false election instructions, manipulated translations, altered results, and misleading political claims.
The sessions focused on key issues, from native language information ecosystems, election concepts and translation issues to how misinformation spreads in native languages and how to maintain factual meaning, context, attribution, uncertainty and neutrality when translating election information.
Participants are encouraged to maintain the meaning, context and accuracy of official election information procedures when communicating them in various languages.
Yoruba, Igbo and Ibibio Election Glossary Developed
The main outcome of the workshop was the development of election language resources in three languages in Southern Nigeria: Yoruba, Igbo and Ibibio.
Participants reviewed and validated existing draft election glossaries in Yoruba and Igbo, while developing an Ibibio glossary from scratch. The inclusion of Ibibio reflects the need to make the resource relevant to the linguistic context of Akwa Ibom State, where the training was held.
Participants also developed language-specific style sheets for the three languages to encourage consistency in electoral terminology, spelling, translation and editorial usage.
Lawa said the glossary and style sheet are intended as practical references for journalists, broadcasters, editors, fact checkers and translators who seek to communicate election information accurately and consistently.
The resource development process highlights that electoral translation is more than just replacing words from one language to another. Practitioners should preserve the meaning of official statements, consider linguistic and cultural context, use terminology consistently and ensure that translations do not create ambiguity or distort original information.
Training Emphasizes Ethical Verification and Reporting
The program also combines expert-led presentations with facilitated discussions, practical exercises, collaborative resource development, and peer review.
Participants explored verification and quality control practices for original language election content, including tracing original sources, checking official information, corroborating claims, and reviewing translations before publication or broadcast.
This session also examines media practitioners’ ethical responsibilities in reporting on vulnerable and underserved communities. Discussions emphasize evidence-based reporting, appropriate attribution, contextual accuracy, and consideration of potential harm.
Participants are cautioned against sharing claims simply because they are widely shared or expressed in a voice that sounds authoritative. They are encouraged to strengthen editorial scrutiny of election announcements, political claims, voting records and information related to election results, especially when inaccurate reporting could mislead voters or undermine public confidence.
FactCheckAfrica Highlights the Importance of Language Inclusion
Speaking about the importance of this intervention, Abideen Olasupo, founder of FactCheckAfrica, said that election information is only useful if citizens can understand it accurately in the language they trust and use.
“Election information is only useful if people can understand it accurately in the language they trust and use. In a multilingual country like Nigeria, translating election information is not just changing words from one language to another; it is also preserving meaning, context and accuracy so that citizens can make informed decisions,” he said.
Olasupo added that validating the Yoruba and Igbo draft glossaries and developing the Ibibio draft are practical steps to ensure that indigenous speaking communities are not excluded from access to reliable election information.
He said these resources will help journalists and broadcasters communicate election concepts more consistently, verify claims more effectively, and contribute to a more informed electorate ahead of the 2027 elections.
Participants are Committed to Applying Learning
This workshop encourages participants to identify practical ways to integrate glossaries and style sheets into their professional and organizational workflows.
It is hoped that these resources will support consistent editorial decisions, improve translation reviews and strengthen the accuracy of election reporting following training.
The activity ends with a post-training assessment, participant feedback and an Action Form to document learning outcomes and commitment to applying the knowledge gained.
Follow-up monitoring is expected to assess how resources are used in professional practice and whether participating organizations incorporate the recommended approaches into their editorial processes.
By: Arinze Chijioke
