June 10, 2025
Nigeria conducted its general elections in February 2023, amidst widespread warnings of increased trends in mis/disinformation. True to these predictions, the election period was marked by significant information disorder, including misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and fake news.
The first ever Election Social Media War Room was established by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), tasked to identify trends and actors fuelling information disorder ahead of the elections. Upon identification, the team developed fact-shields and explainers to educate the public on issues that could influence the elections. Additionally, daily fact-checks were published to counter misleading narratives.
Building on the visible successes of these efforts, the CDD-West Africa team extended its work to off-cycle elections across five Nigerian states in 2024, and launched a social media chatbot called Check by Meedan. This chatbot allowed users to integrate their social media accounts, such as WhatsApp and Facebook, and directly report claims. The tool became remarkable, with an average of 15 claims submitted daily during election period and enabled the team to upload verified fact-checks, granting users real-time access to accurate information.
Within six months of deployment, traffic to the fact-checking website increased to a monthly average of 300,000 viewers, and engagement across the organisation’s social media platforms doubled, particularly during election periods. A year after, over 300 fact-checks and 30 fact-shields were produced.
The tireless efforts to counter disinformation have earned CDD-West Africa notable partners, including the UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
Explore: https://meedan.com/check