In furtherance of its commitment to combating the spread of misinformation and hate speech, FactCheck Africa has developed a robust fact-checking curriculum tailored for journalism, media, and communication programmes in Nigerian higher institutions of learning.
This initiative, announced in a statement on Monday by FactCheck Africa’s convener, Abideen Olasupo, aims to equip students with advanced tools and skills, including the use of artificial intelligence to counter the spread of fake news, disinformation, and harmful speech across media platforms.
Olasupo highlighted the urgency of this initiative, citing the rise of digital media and the associated issues of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, saying these issues erode public trust and pose serious risks to democracy and social cohesion.
The curriculum, which was developed by a team of researchers, communication experts, lecturers and professional factcheckers, comprises courses such as Critical Information Literacy, Critical Digital Literacy, Critical Data Literacy, Critical Media Literacy, and Moral and Civic Sensibility.
He added that the curriculum also contains teaching of AI for Media, usage of Open-source intelligence (OSINT), with examination of relevant case studies.
According to Olasupo, these modules were designed to foster critical thinking, media literacy, and digital literacy, enabling students to evaluate and analyse information ethically and responsibly. “Our ultimate goal is to empower young people with critical thinking and media literacy skills, and as promote ethical practices in the information ecosystem,” he stated.
He further explained that FactCheck Africa’s extensive research and advocacy initiatives over the past year in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and rural communities inspired the curriculum’s development.
“With support from our partners, we’ve conducted series of workshops across universities and polytechnics in the country, studied global benchmarks, and identified best practices from 133 universities worldwide to inform this curriculum.
“The research revealed that, while some courses in Nigeria’s academic institutions touch on information disorder, there is a need for a more comprehensive, dedicated fact-checking curriculum. Some of the challenges observed in current approaches include limited resources, inconsistent methodologies, technological barriers, and rapidly evolving misinformation tactics,” he explained.
According to him, this new curriculum aligns with international best practices, positioning Nigeria to lead the way in factchecking education in Africa, combat misinformation and promote a resilient information landscape.
“We strongly believe that integrating media literacy, critical thinking, and digital literacy into our higher education system will equip future journalists and communicators with the skills to tackle information pollution effectively,” he stressed.
The FactCheck Africa convener also disclosed the curriculum would be presented for validation at the 25th International Conference of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) holding at the Baze University, Abuja between 12 and 15 November, 2024.
Olasupo emphasised that prior to the curriculum development, his organisation has been actively promoting media literacy and critical thinking in Africa with its different initiatives.
He said: “Earlier this year, we successfully launched ‘MyAIFactChecker’, Africa’s first AI-powered fact-checking platform, to address the spread of misinformation on the continent. The platform’s cutting-edge technology allows users to quickly verify the authenticity of news, social media posts, and other content. This innovative solution that has voice search capability available in English, Swahili, French, Arabic, and other popular local languages in Nigeria, has revolutionised how Africans verify online information.”
In April, FactCheck Africa introduced a three-month AI Journalism Fellowship for journalists across West Africa, through which it has empowered hundreds of selected journalists across the continent with the knowledge, skills, and ethical considerations needed to navigate AI in journalism.
The organisation has also delivered fact-checking training for Mass Communication students in various universities and polytechnics across Nigeria, as well as held sensitisation sessions on factchecking misinformation in several grassroots communities.
“Our commitment to combating misinformation and hate speech in Africa is unwavering. We understand the severe impact of information pollution on our society, and we are dedicated to empowering individuals with the tools to discern truth from falsehood in this digital age. FactCheck Africa will continue to advance media literacy and critical thinking across the continent,” he reiterated.
