EXPERTS at the Africa Facts summit have urged journalists and fact-checkers across the continent to sanitise Africa’s information landscape amidst surge in global information disorder.
They gave the charge at the Africa Facts Summit 2024 which kicked off on October 9, in Accra, Ghana and which brought together some of the continent’s brightest minds in the fight against misinformation and disinformation.
With the theme “Challenges, Innovations, and Strategic Responses to Countering Mis- and Disinformation in Africa,” the two-day summit aims to reshape the narrative on fact-checking and build resilience against digital deception across Africa.
Noko Makgato, Executive Director of Africa Check, opened the summit with a rallying call for unity in the fight against misinformation and disinformation.
READ: AFP, Dubawa, TheCable, others win 2023 African Fact-checking Awards
“Let us draw inspiration from each other and unite in our mission to uphold the principles of transparency and trust,” he urged the gathering of fact-checkers, academics and journalists from various parts of the African continent.
His message set the tone for a summit filled with stimulating discussions, workshops, and a renewed focus on collaborative solutions.
“Your voice is crucial in shaping the future of fact-checking on the continent,” Makgato emphasized, encouraging active participation from all attendees.
Also speaking, Professor Abena Yeboa-Banin from the University of Ghana‘s Department of Communication Studies highlighted the critical need to clean up Africa’s information landscape. She noted that while global attention on misinformation grows, African nations often bear the brunt of disinformation campaigns, exacerbated by government responses that sometimes restrict free speech.
“If you move across our continent, there is a constant target of misinformation directed at our various countries and citizens,” she said, pointing out Africa’s vulnerability to foreign information manipulation.
Her remarks underscored the urgency to address these challenges not just from a technological perspective, but also through policies that protect the integrity of information without stifling freedom of expression in the continent.
In her keynote address, Onica Makwakwa, Executive Director of the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, stressed the need for a culturally sensitive approach to combating misinformation and disinformation on the continent.
“While these issues are global in nature, we have a unique situation in our continent,” she said. “We’ve got multiple cultures, languages, and histories, as well as an inherited legacy of mistrust. The colonial legacy of manipulating information still lingers.”
Makwakwa highlighted the absence of Africa’s linguistic and cultural diversity in the digital space, calling it a missed opportunity both for preserving indigenous languages and for reducing misinformation.
“We need to see this diversity as a strength, not a barrier,” she added, pushing for an African-centered strategy that respects the continent’s unique context.
A panel discussion titled “Lessons Learned from Covering the Presidential Elections in the DRC and Senegal” brought real-world insights into the mix. Ange Kasongo of Balobaki Check and Valdez Onanina of Africa Check shared their experiences on how collaboration among fact-checkers helped curb misinformation during these critical elections.
Onanina lauded the Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition for its innovative approach, which served as a model for guiding fact-checking efforts across Africa and especially during Senegal’s presidential election in 2023.
Among the summit’s most thought-provoking presentations was “Tall Tales: When Journalists Invent Fiction,” delivered by Professor Peter Kimani of the Aga Khan Graduate School of Media and Communications in Kenya. He dissected the phenomenon of fabricated news stories and their impact on public trust.
Another session led by Kwaku Krobea Asante from FactCheck Ghana tackled the troubling rise of gendered and sexualized disinformation in Africa. Asante’s analysis shone a light on the specific tactics used to target women in public life, urging for more robust strategies to counteract these digital attacks.
As the Africa Facts Summit 2024 ends on Thursday, this summit marks not just a gathering of experts but a pivotal step toward a future where misinformation is met with swift, strategic and collaborative responses, ensuring that truth and accuracy hold firm in the face of digital deception.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].