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False claim circulates online that Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcome their first twin babies

Faith Abeka
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False claim circulates online that Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcome their first twin babies

A claim that Nigerian gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo Blessed and her husband have welcomed their first twin babies has circulated online.

The claim, stated in a video blog posted by Eviral TV on YouTube on December 16, 2022 and archived here, reads:

“Mercy Chinwo and Pastor Blessed welcomes their first twins.”

It has garnered over 300 views on the YouTube channel since it was published there on December 16, 2022.

Screenshot of the Facebook page with the false blog post on Mercy Chinwo Blessed.
Screenshot of the Facebook page with the false blog post on Mercy Chinwo.

A Facebook page named Angela Okorie with the username, @angelaokorieteam posted a photo collage of the couple and a set of twins, alongside a web link same day with a caption that reads:

“Mercy is blessed: Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcomes their first twin babies Today (Photos)”

The post has since garnered over 12,800 likes, 55 shares and more than 5,300 comments.

The Facebook page has over 2 million followers.

When clicked, the web link directs users to an article page on Ejikesblog.com with the headline: Pregnancy Rumor: All you need to know about Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, Career, husband, children.

Screenshot of the Facebook page with the fake video on Mercy Chinwo Blessed.
Screenshot of the Facebook page with the fake video on Mercy Chinwo.

Another Facebook page named Eviral TV also posted the video with a caption that reads:

“Mercy is blessed Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcomes their first twin babies today”(photos)

The post has garnered over 5,000 likes, over 300 comments plus more than 23,000 views.

The Facebook page has over 16,000 followers.

Mercy Chinwo Blessed is known for her popular songs including Excess Love, Obinasom, Omekannaya, and Na You Dey Reign, among others.

She got married to her husband, Blessed Uzochikwa, the resident pastor of The Waterbrook Church (TWB), Lekki, Lagos on August 13, 2022, the Vanguard reported.

THE CLAIM

Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcome their first twin babies.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

When our researcher reached out to Mercy Chinwo Blessed via her email: Mecempire1@gmail.com on Saturday, December 17, 2022, she debunked the claim.

“No, it’s fake news ,” she said in her terse reply to the email inquiry.

Screenshot of the email exchange between Mercy Chinwo Blessed and the FactCheckHub researcher, debunking the false claim.
Screenshot of the email exchange between Mercy Chinwo Blessed and the FactCheckHub researcher, debunking the false claim.

When The FactCheckHub visited her Instagram page which she often use when making public announcement, the most recent post on her page was published on November 16, 2022.

THE VERDICT

The claim that Mercy Chinwo and her husband welcome their first twin babies is FALSE; the gospel artist debunked it.

False Claim on Tinubu attributed to the Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition

Opeyemi Kehinde
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False Claim on Tinubu attributed to the Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition

THE attention of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition (NFC) has been drawn to a disturbing false claim attributed to our team of fact-checkers.

The bogus fact-check card, now going viral on social media, had passed a verdict that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “inherited great real estate” is correct. (See the featured image).

READ: Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

The masterminds of this false information were referring to a claim made by Mr Tinubu while he was answering questions on his source of wealth during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The authors further claimed that Mr Tinubu “inherited Lagos from his father, tamed the Atlantic, thereby increasing the value of the land”.

READ: TB Joshua: Video of Tinubu criticizing BBC documentary is doctored!

As a group of credible Nigerian fact-checkers, researchers and journalists, we hereby dissociate ourselves from the mischief verdict concocted and attributed to us. We urge the public to note that none of our fact-checkers has a hand in producing this bogus fact-checking card.

As Nigerians prepare for the forthcoming 2023 general elections, we remain committed to producing well-researched fact-checks to hold politicians accountable while providing the electorate with verified information towards making informed decision and upholding the nation’s democracy.

 

Signed: Opeyemi Kehinde

FOR: Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition (NFC).

Viral video does not show APC national chairman being stripped naked in Nasarawa

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Viral video does not show APC national chairman being stripped naked in Nasarawa

A viral video showing a man being assaulted has surfaced online with a claim that it shows the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, being beaten and stripped naked by crowd in Nasarawa state.

A Twitter user, @princeujay tweeted the video (archived here) with a caption thus:

“BREAKING NEWS. APC National Chairman stripped Naked and molested in Nasarawa State over multiple crises rocking the party in the state. Some of the members said they don’t want Bola Tinubu as presidential candidate.”

The tweet has generated over 800 retweets, about 1,200 likes and more than 55,000 views as of Saturday noon on December 10, 2022.

Another Twitter user, @RealOlaudah posted the video with a similar caption that reads:

“BREAKING NEWS. APC National Chairman stripped Naked in Nasarawa State over multiple crises rocking the party in the state. Some of the members said they don’t want Bola Tinubu as presidential candidate.”

The tweet has generated over 500 retweets, more than 700 likes and over 50,000 views as of Saturday, 10th of December, 2022.

READ: False claim that Nyesom Wike has defected to APC resurfaces online

Another Twitter user, @IsokoTolopia tweeted the video with another caption thus: 

“APC National Chairman stripped naked in Nassarawa. ‘One day the bucket a go fall out!. ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, Bob Marley. #DreadOnDread(sic).”

The video has garnered over 70 retweets and more than 1,000 views as of Saturday, 10th of December, 2022.

Also, the video has been tweeted and retweeted with a similar caption by several Twitter users as seen here.

The video has also gone viral on Facebook.

A Facebook user, Umar M. Goshe posted the video with a caption thus: 

“Wahala don Come. APC National Chairman stripped Necked in his State of home town, the Good  people of Nasarawa and North rejected this evil Government.”

 

CLAIM

Video shows the national chairman of All Progressives Congress stripped naked by crowd in Nasarawa state.

Screenshot of one of the Twitter posts with the viral video.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Results from a frame by frame analysis of the video using InVid, a video verification tool, show that the face in the video does not match that of Abdullahi Adamu.

Further checks identified the man in the footage as an APC chieftain in Nasarawa state, Abubakar Abu Giza, as reported by Vanguard and The Sun newspapers.

According to the media reports, the APC chieftain was stripped naked, molested and humiliated by youth suspected to be supporters of APC in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital on Thursday, 8th of December, 2022.

Meanwhile, Abdullahi Adamu through his Special Assistant on New Media, Nata’ala Mohammed, has debunked the viral video, the PM News and Vanguard reported on Saturday.

“It was the mere imagination of mischievous people who are unfamiliar with the physical looks of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu.

ALSO READ: How resignation of APC chieftain stirs misinformation online

“This unfortunate misplacement of the true physical look of the person of Adamu, is not in anyway to be linked to him,” the media reports quoted Mohammed as saying in a telephone interview.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the viral video shows the APC National chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, being stripped naked in Nasarawa state is FALSE; as the footage showed the face of one APC chieftain, Abubakar Abu Giza.

2023 polls: CDD unveils ‘war room’ to tackle political misinformation

Nurudeen Akewushola
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2023 polls: CDD unveils ‘war room’ to tackle political misinformation

THE Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has unveiled an election war room to tackle misinformation and fish out its purveyors ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 elections.

CDD director, Idayat Hassan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

She said the CDD’s war room will play an important role in making the 2023 elections free, fair and credible.

Hassan noted that the CDD will publish weekly reports about its findings on misinformation.

READ: Misinformation, disinformation could mar Nigeria’s 2023 elections, CDD warns

“The Centre for Democracy and Development has unveiled an Election War Room for tackling disinformation, misinformation and the activities of bad actors ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.

“Africa’s largest democracy is going into what many hope will be the country’s turning point election. As part of its mandate to help the nation deliver free, fair and credible elections, CDD’s Election War Room will play an important role in making this election free from the narrative influence of bad actors.

“On a weekly basis, our team of detailed, vibrant, and tech-savvy youths will publish a brief about our findings within the disinformation and fact-checking ecosystem in Nigeria,” the statement partly reads.

She explained that the team is already monitoring  all political players, news organizations, security agencies, fact-checkers, electoral umpire and all other stakeholders.

She added: “Our weekly briefs will arm Nigerians with verifiable information on possible points of misinformation and disinformation, provide insight into controversial and contentious issues; and prepare citizens for expected waves of disinformation within the political arena.

“Why is this important? In the 2019 election, disinformation spread across northern Nigeria claiming a coalition formed by the LGBTQ community in Nigeria had endorsed Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for president.

ALSO READ: FACT CHECK: Five inaccurate, unverifiable claims made by Sowore, PDP at CDD debate

“In the same election year, doctored images were shared across social media alongside claims that Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had died and was replaced by a body double infamously known as Jibril of Sudan. With the benefit of hindsight, both claims were false.”

She explained that the election War Room will deal with such disinformation by  highlighting seeders and bad actors who begin and drive such narratives across the major social media platforms.

“The team will also produce pre-bunks to act as fact shields against misinformation ahead of the elections. In this War Room, our goal is simple: to make this the most factual elections in Nigeria’s history,” she concluded.

2023 elections: Don tasks media practitioners to shun fake news

Raji Olatunji
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2023 elections: Don tasks media practitioners to shun fake news

AHEAD of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, media practitioners in the country have been tasked to shun fake news to avoid confusing Nigerians during the polls.

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Dr. Dayo Oladebeye, disclosed this at the Press Week of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUC), Ekiti State Council held on Wednesday.

Oladebeye, who spoke on the topic, “2023 Elections: Beyond Religion, Ethnicity – The Place of The Media”, said the social media has not helped the situation as it allows anyone to put up posts regardless of the sources.

READ: Nigerian police to clamp down on fake news purveyors

“The sentiments that are spreading among Nigerians on these elections are primarily as a result of the myriads of socio-economic problems,” he said.

According to Oladebeye, the success of the 2023 election should be everyone’s concern, adding that Nigerians irrespective of religion or ethnic affiliation will bear the consequences of their choices.

Oladebeye thereby called on the media to be transparent and open for debate and discussions as the watchdog of society.

He asked journalists to take measures against fake news, avoid sentiments and constantly educate members of the media.

Oladebeye stressed the importance of the position of the media before, during, and after the 2023 general elections in the face of religious and ethnic bigotry.

“There is a need for the media, regardless of the organization and location to work together for the overall interest of the citizens and for a better Nigeria,” he said.

ALSO READ: Why media houses should set up fact-checking desks to counter fake news

He said the masses should be educated for them to understand the need to vote based on the competence of the candidates contesting at all levels.

This, he said, would avoid voting sentiment associated with religion and ethnicity.

The Rector further urged the media to work as a team to promote national interests rather than personal interests.

Disinformation in Brazil election: Lessons for Nigeria ahead of 2023 polls

Opeyemi Kehinde
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Disinformation in Brazil election: Lessons for Nigeria ahead of 2023 polls

For fact-checkers across the world, election season comes with an enormous task, as it is often characterised by misinformation and disinformation. And the October 2022 second run-off election in Brazil isn’t an exemption.

Supporters of the major contenders in Brazil’s 2022 presidential election – incumbent far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, seeking another term in office, and his left-wing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former president – have polarised the South American country with misinformation and disinformation.

The country’s electoral umpire declared Lula da Silva winner of the keenly contested election, according to Time magazine.

According to DataReportal, there were 171.5 million social media users in Brazil in January 2022; that is equivalent to 79.9 per cent of its total population of 214.7 million as of January 2022. The report added a caveat: “it’s important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals.”

READ: Nigerian political figures fact-checked during off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa

In essence, more than half of the country’s population likely made their voting decisions based on what they read, watch or listen to online.

A 2022 study by UK’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the University of Oxford found that more than 70 per cent of Brazilians think disinformation is a problem on Facebook, WhatsApp, Google and YouTube. TikTok also played a role in the increasing digital disinformation in Brazil’s election.

From claims about corruption, Covid-19, deforestation, guns, organised crimes, Satanism and Cannibalism etc, Brazilian fact-checkers at Lupa, AFP Checamos, Aos Fatos, Boatos.org, Comprova, e-Farsas, Agência Pública and Fato ou Fake, among others rose up to the task of sharing factual information and debunking fake news to reduce “the impact of lies in the election.”

As CNN reported, “Distrust has been exacerbated by a bitter campaign season, marked by intense misinformation campaigns and name-calling on both sides.”

“Authorities in Brazil have ramped up efforts to remove inaccurate information from social media websites, even setting up their own platform to debunk some of the accusations. But the effort sparked cries of censorship among supporters of Bolsonaro, who have faced more investigations of alleged misinformation dissemination than those backing Lula,” it added.

Like Brazil, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government in October 2022 said misinformation aggravates insecurity and distrust between his government and the Nigerian populace.

Nigeria is witnessing floods of misinformation on its cyberspace, especially across social media platforms, where supporters of the leading presidential contenders are influencing online conversations and political campaigns ahead of the African nation’s 2023 general elections.

The top three presidential candidates in next year’s election in Nigeria are Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Over the last few months, fact-checkers at The FactCheckHub, like their counterparts in Brazil, have debunked posts and videos spread on social media by purveyors of misinformation and disinformation, which oftentimes are partly supporters of the trio.

From an old video of Tinubu working out, to a video of Dino Melaye (Atiku’s spokesperson) ‘supporting’ Peter Obi and a popular Nigerian music artiste, Charly Boy, making false claim about October 1 rally held by Peter Obi’s supporters, Nigeria’s internet users population of 109.2 millions (as of January 2022) are battling with how to make informed decisions regarding who will represent them in the next democratic administration.

The presidential candidates are not left out in sharing misinformation among the populace. The FactCheckHub had earlier published analysis on false claims made by Atiku, Tinubu and how Obi repeatedly quoted wrong figures in public. Recently, one of the trio shared a misleading photo that went viral.

This prompted the formation of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition (NFC) which consists of three International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) signatories, civil societies and newsrooms working together to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation before and during the next Nigeria’s election.

The NFC members include the Africa Check; FactCheckHub; Dubawa; International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR); Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID); Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); FactsMatterNG; The Cable; Daily Trust; Premium Times, Digital Africa Research Lab and The Insight.

Formed in June 2022, the coalition in August wrote an Open Letter to Nigerian politicians calling them to shun misinformation in their campaigns and public speeches.

Also, on September 6, 2022 the coalition hosted an election disinformation conference with the theme: Nigeria’s 2023 Election: Curbing Information Disorder where panelists tasked all political stakeholders, diplomatic communities and tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc to help Nigeria in her fight against election misinformation and disinformation. Panelists at the event also raised concerns over state-sponsored misinformation in the country ahead of the polls, while tasking media organisations to fact-check their reports before disseminating to the public.

The coalition members, among others, are educating the Nigerian electorate and providing them with media literacy information, thus arming them with truth ahead of the elections.

Beyond these, The FactCheckHub also amplifies published fact-checks by producing snackable social videos in three major Nigerian languages – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba – to educate our regional audience in their local languages.

This targets the rural audience who have little, semi-formal or non-formal education spread across the villages in the entire country and border communities of other neighbouring countries who speak similar languages, such as the Hausa-speaking Niger communities in northern Nigerian borders and Yoruba-speaking Cotonou (Côte d’Ivoire) communities in Western Nigeria etc.

ALSO READ: Video does not show Osun governor, Adeleke dancing half-naked

Unlike in Brazil where the nation’s Superior Electoral Court became the protagonist in the battle against election misinformation, Nigeria’s electoral umpire tasked media organisations to step up their fact-checking efforts to tackle misinformation head-on.

Though the Nigerian government has made several attempts to pass a bill regulating social media usage in the country, it has been met with stiff resistance from the civil society, media, and ordinary Nigerians.

Just as “Disinformation is obviously a major problem for Brazil’s democracy,” according to analysts, the Nigerian fact-checking community, including the media needs to synergise efforts in advancing media literacy to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process by providing the Nigerian electorate factual information at all times.

Similarly, they must ensure that they closely monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by all political candidates across the country without bias; be it in the form of radio and Television ads, debates, speeches, interviews or press releases published in newspapers or shared on social platforms.

They must also seek and secure the unwavering commitment of social media platforms to fighting fake news in Nigeria, beyond mere photo-ops and rhetoric.

No, Video does not show Reno Omokri campaigning in support of Tinubu at Chatham House

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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No, Video does not show Reno Omokri campaigning in support of Tinubu at Chatham House

ON Monday, December 5, 2022, a viral video shared by The Nation Newspaper claimed that a former presidential aide to Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, was campaigning in support of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for Nigeria’s 2023 election.

Omokri is a staunch supporter and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The 25-second footage appeared on the heel of Tinubu’s appearance at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom.

The APC candidate had visited, alongside his loyalists, including the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to deliver a lecture on security, economy and foreign policy ahead of next year’s poll.   

Tinubu, a two-term former Governor of Lagos State, also utilised the platform to speak on his vision, policies and personal issues, such as his actual age, which had been under contention.

As of the time of filing this report at 6:00PM on Monday, the video post has garnered over 8,400 views and multiple reactions.

While netizens expressed confusion over the post, others who appeared as APC supporters described the politician (Omokri) as “a fan of Tinubu, you can’t tell me otherwise”.     

THE CLAIM

Reno Omokri joins APC supporters in London to campaign for Bola Tinubu at Chatham House.

FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show the claim is FALSE.

The Chatham House is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. The group, also recognised as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, has become a place most presidential political candidates visit to showcase their agenda, especially as they get close to the election period.

A former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was at the Chatham House in April 2018.

Meanwhile, an analysis of the video showed that contrary to the claim, Reno was actually using derogatory words against Tinubu in a protest at the same location (Chatham House).

Screenshot of the tweeted video showing Reno Omokri was protesting against Tinubu’s candidacy in London on Monday with a placard that reads: ‘No to a drug baron in Aso Rock.’

Research showed that there were two camps around the Chatham House, a camp loyal to Tinubu, and Reno’s Camp (who were protesting against Tinubu’s candidacy).

Armed with a megaphone, Reno had earlier displayed a placard with an inscription – “No To a Drug Baron in Aso Rock.” A fellow protester was with another placard with the inscription – “Nigerians Reject Bola Escobar And His Heroin Cartel.”

They chanted demonstration songs amid the protests, findings revealed.

In a separate video of about 39 seconds from the same location, Omokri and his team yelled in Yoruba language – ‘Tinubu Ole’, literally translated to mean “Tinubu is a thief” in English.

However, due to the rival groups’ proximity in the controversial footage, pro-Tinubu supporters rather ended Omokri’s chanting with “Tinubu for president” as the two protesting groups shout.

THE VERDICT

As of when the claim was made, Omokri’s pinned tweet showed that the PDP supporter was demonstrating against the APC presidential candidate, which was also validated by a-52-second video.

Thus, contrary to the claim, photographs, placards and videos from the same incident revealed that Reno was protesting against Tinubu at the said location and not in support. The claim is, therefore, FALSE.

Google, YouTube partner IFCN to support global fact-checking initiatives with $13.2m grant

Faith Abeka
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Google, YouTube partner IFCN to support global fact-checking initiatives with $13.2m grant

THE International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has announced a partnership with Google and YouTube to support the fight against misinformation globally.

A statement on Tuesday from the US-based global body of fact-checkers said the social media platforms are providing the IFCN a $13.2 million grant, which includes a $12 million Global Fact Check Fund primarily for verified signatories to the IFCN’s Code of Principles.

It added that not less than 135 organizations from 65 countries known to  promote high standards of transparency and non-partisanships for fact-checkers have been listed to benefit from the grant.

READ: IFCN awards $1million to 20 fact-checking organizations to expand operations

IFCN’s executive director, Baybars Örsek, stated: “The world needs fact-checking more than ever before. This partnership with Google and YouTube infuses financial support to global fact-checkers and is a step in the right direction.”

“And while there’s much work to be done, this partnership has sparked meaningful collaboration and an important step,” he said.

Also commenting, Olivia Ma, Managing Director, Global News Programs and Ecosystem at Google, said: “Combating misinformation is an ongoing global challenge for society. We take seriously our role in helping to fight misinformation by continually investing in products, programs and partnerships that help people access high-quality information.”

“Expanding Google and YouTube’s work with the IFCN means that more independent fact-checkers around the world will have the tools and capacity to help people make informed decisions.”

The statement added that the associated grants distributed through this new fund will support fact-checking organizations at varying stages of their development.

ALSO READ: FactCheck247 trains Kwara community on fighting misinformation

“Dollar amounts will be adjusted to equalize the purchasing power of the fact-checking organizations’ home nation. Details of grant distribution will be announced in 2023.

“In addition to the grants to directly strengthen and expand fact-checking, Google and YouTube will offer supplemental financial support for the IFCN to establish a neutral and independent selection committee; improve the reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the funded fact-check efforts; and expand the capacity of the IFCN to serve the international fact-checking community. 

“In addition to providing the financial support, members of the Google and YouTube teams are working with the IFCN community to explore cooperation, analytics and tools that fact-checkers need to fight disinformation on specific platforms, and to expand resources to non-English speaking nations,” it noted.

Örsek added, “Our mission is to be a catalyst for positive change within the global fact-checking community. We are grateful to Google and YouTube for their commitment to bolster fact-checkers in an ever-increasing environment of mis- and disinformation.”

Launched in 2015 at the Poynter Institute, the IFCN brings together the growing community of fact-checkers globally and advocates of factual information in the fight against misinformation.

Fact-checking Obi’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Fact-checking Obi’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Monday, November 21, 2022 made several claims on the situation of the country and his plans for Nigerians if elected Nigeria’s president in the 2023 general elections.

He made the claims at the presidential town hall series titled ‘The Candidates,’ which was organised by Daria Media in partnership with News Central, and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), among others.

The town hall series features six presidential candidates and their running mates ahead of the February 2023 presidential election alongside their running mates, starting from November 17 till November 23.

The presidential candidates are: Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), Peter Gregory Obi (LP), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (NNPP), Omoyele Sowore (AAC) and Adewole Adebayo (SDP). However, Tinubu and Atiku later couldn’t attend the town hall series on assigned dates.

The Nigerian Fact-checkers Coalition (NFC) which includes The FactCheckHub, examined the veracity of these claims.

 

CLAIM  1

Peter Obi claimed that over 130 million live in poverty in Nigeria.

FINDINGS

According to a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on multi-dimensional poverty, about  133 million people in the country, representing 63 per cent of the population, are living in different categories of poverty.

The report stated that 65 per cent of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35 per cent (nearly 47 million) live in the South.

The National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations.

The report stresses that poverty levels across states vary significantly, with the incidence of multi-dimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27 per cent in Ondo to a high of 91 per cent in Sokoto.

According to the report, over half of the population of Nigeria are multi-dimensionally poor and cook with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than with cleaner energy.

According to the report, high deprivations are also apparent nationally in sanitation, healthcare, food insecurity, and housing.

Accordingly, the incidence of monetary poverty is lower than the incidence of MPI across most states.

In Nigeria, 40.1 per cent of people had been deemed poor, according to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, but 63 per cent have now been regarded  multi-dimensionally poor according to the National MPI 2022.

VERDICT

Peter Obi’s claim that over 130 million people live in poverty in Nigeria is TRUE; as confirmed by the recent NBS report.

READ: How accurate is Obi’s claim on Nigeria’s public debt profile?

CLAIM 2

Peter Obi claimed that Israel’s export last year (2021) is $59.8 billion.

FINDINGS

According to Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, the country accrued $143 billion in exports in 2021. 

The World Bank also estimates that Israel made $143.05 billion on exports of goods and services.

VERDICT

Obi’s claim that Israel’s export for 2021 is $59.8 billion is FALSE; findings show that the figure is higher.

 

CLAIM 3

Peter Obi claimed that Nigeria export was N18.9 trillion in 2021.

FINDINGS

Nigeria’s exports are goods grown, extracted or manufactured in Nigeria and are transported to another country for sale or trade. It is a crucial element of a country’s economy.

In Nigeria, it is divided into oil and non-oil exports. However, oil exports are the dominant portion of Nigeria’s export revenues.

India remains the top export destination for Nigeria with 16.4% (US$7.8 billion) of Nigeria’s total exports in 2021. Others were Spain, France, The Netherlands, Canada, USA, Italy and Indonesia.

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics titled “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics (Q4 2021)” shows that Nigeria’s total exports amounted to 18.9 trillion Nigerian naira (NGN) in 2021 while total imports stood at N20.84 trillion.

VERDICT

Peter Obi’s claim that Nigeria’s total export in 2021 was N18.9 trillion is TRUE; as confirmed by the NBS data.

 

CLAIM 4

Peter Obi claimed that oil contributes less than 10 percent of Nigeria’s GDP.

FINDINGS 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Q2 2022, the Oil sector contributed 6.33% to the total real GDP in Q2 2022,  down from the figures recorded in the corresponding period of 2021 and the preceding quarter, where it contributed 7.42% and 6.63% respectively.

VERDICT

Obi’s claim that oil contributes less than 10% of Nigeria’s GDP is TRUE.

ALSO READ: 2023 Elections: Nigerian fact-checkers unveil situation rooms in Lagos, Abuja

CLAIM 5

Peter Obi claimed that River Nile is over 1,000 kilometre longer than River Niger and River Benue combined.

FINDINGS 

According to Fortune Africa and Reuters, River Nile is the longest river in Africa and in the world with a length of 6,650 km (4,132mi); Niger River is the third longest river in Africa, extending about 4,200 km (2,611 mi); Benue River is about 673 miles (1,083 km) in length. So, adding the length of River Niger and Benue together and subtracting them from that of The Nile would result in 1,367 km.

VERDICT

Peter Obi’s claim that River Nile is over 1,000 km longer than River Niger and River Benue is TRUE.

 

CLAIM 6

Peter Obi claimed that Netherlands’ agricultural export last year was €103 billion (Euros) – that’s $120 billion.

FINDINGS

The estimated total of Netherlands agricultural exports in 2021 was €104.7 billion, data from the Wageningen Economic Research (WUR) and Statistics Netherlands, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) revealed. Out of the figure provided, €75.7 billion domestically produced goods were exported in 2021 while €29.0 billion came from re-exported agricultural goods which originated from other countries.

Netherlands is rated the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products after the US, according to the International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce.

VERDICT

Obi’s claim that Netherlands’ agricultural export last year was €103 billion ($120 billion) is FALSE; findings show that the figure was a bit higher.

 

Nigerian Fact-checkers' Coalition

*This live-check was researched and written by members of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) and edited by Kemi Busari (Dubawa Nigeria), David Ajikobi (Africa Check Nigeria), Ajibola Amzat and Opeyemi Kehinde (FactCheckHub).

Fact-checking Kwankwaso’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Fact-checking Kwankwaso’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

AHEAD of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Saturday made several claims on his achievement as a former governor of Kano state and his plans for Nigerians if elected Nigeria’s number one citizen in the next democratic dispensation.

Kwankwaso was the governor of Kano state between 1999 to 2003. He initially lost his second bid to Ibrahim Shekarau in 2003 before he re-contested and won again as the state governor in 2011.

The town hall series features six presidential candidates ahead of the February 2023 presidential election alongside their running mates, starting from November 17 till November 23.

The presidential candidates are: Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), Peter Gregory Obi (LP), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (NNPP), Omoyele Sowore (AAC) and Adewole Adebayo (SDP). Saturday’s edition featured Kwankwaso, who was also a former Defence minister.

READ: Fact-checking Adewole Adebayo’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

The Nigerian Fact-checkers Coalition (NFC) which includes The FactCheckHub, examined the veracity of these claims.

CLAIM 1

Kwankwaso claimed that he never borrowed money when he was governor of Kano state. 

THE FINDINGS

According to a report by Premium Times, Kano state Commissioner of Information, Mohammed Garba, said that Kwankwaso borrowed N4.161 billion from pensioners’ funds to build Bandirawo and Amana Housing Estates.

He added that when the project was completed, the government realized pensioners could not afford housing units in the estates because of the cost.

In a Vanguard report in 2021, the former Kano governor was probed by the EFCC for allegedly mismanaging N10 billion in pension remittances between 2011 and 2015.

VERDICT

The claim that Kwankwaso did not borrow money when he was Kano state governor is FALSE; findings show that he borrowed at least N4.161 billion to execute some projects in the state.

ALSO READ: Fact-checking Sowore’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

 

CLAIM 2

Kwankwaso claimed that he didn’t leave debt behind in his two terms in office as the Kano state governor.

THE FINDINGS

Kwankwaso was the governor of Kano State between 1999-2003 and 2011-2015. 

According to data from the Debt Management Office, Kano state had a debt of $59.8 million US dollars ($59,796,931.03) as of 30th of June, 2015, about a month after Kwankwaso left the office.

Similarly, a report by Premium Times quoted the Kano state’s treasury department as saying Kwankwaso left over N200 billion debt as the governor in 2015. No data was found yet on Kano’s debt profile when he left office in 2003.

VERDICT

The claim by Kwankwaso that he did not leave any debt in office in his tenures as the Kano state governor is FALSE.

 

Nigerian Fact-checkers' Coalition

*This live-check was researched and written by members of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) and edited by Kemi Busari (Dubawa Nigeria), David Ajikobi (Africa Check Nigeria), Ajibola Amzat and Opeyemi Kehinde (FactCheckHub).

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