2027: IPC Engages Over 40 Journalists on Fact Checking, Agenda Setting
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos has held an interface with over forty journalists in Oyo state, exposing them to the various fact checking tools and agenda setting tasks to halt the trend of misinformation, disinformation and fake news during the forthcoming general election.
It charged journalists in the country to rise above board , and set appropriate agenda for members of the political class and policy makers as the 2027 general election approaches .
The IPC along with partners began a two-day interface with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and online editors/publishers on professional and democratic accountability journalism ahead of the 2027 general election.
The programme, holding from Monday, October 12 to Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Jericho, Ibadan, is being organised under Component 4 (Support to Media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN III) Programme.
The interface brought together over 40 editors, publishers and union leaders from across Oyo State and the South-West to reflect on the media’s role in deepening democracy and improving the credibility of electoral reporting.
In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, described the meeting as timely and necessary, coming at a particularly significant moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Arogundade, who was represented at the event, expressed appreciation for the commitment of participants to a conversation that is critical to the future of democracy and the media’s role in strengthening democratic accountability.
“As the country gradually approaches another general election cycle, there is a compelling need for the media to reflect on its responsibilities, reassess its approaches to electoral reporting, and strengthen its capacity to provide citizens with credible, balanced, inclusive and public-interest information,” he stated.
He noted that elections are not merely about political campaigns, rallies, candidates and the eventual announcement of results, but also about citizens, their aspirations, their concerns, their expectations of leadership and their right to make informed decisions about the future of their country.
According to him, beyond reporting political activities and electoral events, the media has a responsibility to facilitate informed public discourse, scrutinise political promises, hold public officials accountable and ensure that citizens’ voices are heard in the democratic process.
He stressed that the effectiveness of this responsibility depends significantly on the quality of journalism, urging editors to embrace professional accountability as the nation prepares for the polls.
Delivering the lead presentation titled “2027 General Election in the Context of Democratic & Accountability Reporting: Scanning the Electoral Environment and Reporting Citizens’ Priority Concerns,” the guest resource person, Dr. Taiwo Adisa, former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, traced Nigeria’s democratic journey to the pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s.
Adisa said many journalists and activists who participated in the struggle rode on the back of what he called an “illusory Democratic Eldorado,” believing that once military rule ended, all good things would follow. He said that enthusiasm has now grown into what legislative scholar, David Beetham, called the “democracy paradox.”
“While democracy had promised all the good things of life, it delivers so little, leaving the citizens in utter disillusionment,” Adisa said, quoting Beetham.
He added that Italian political theorist, Norberto Bobbio, described the situation as “broken promises” – the contrast between what was promised and what has actually come about, a feeling shared by citizens of both old and new democracies.
Adisa noted that the disillusionment is not peculiar to Nigeria, citing the 2005 UN World Summit declaration of democracy as a “universal value,” yet being practised in over 190 countries with varying levels of citizen satisfaction.
He argued that despite its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that guarantees individual freedom and public participation, and as such, the media as the Fourth Estate must shoulder a huge part of the load of straightening the crooked legs of democracy.
“Luckily, we have been charged with the responsibility of auditors, who look through the books; as gatekeepers, who filter those that make it into the house; and as the ombudsman, who are to hold the actors to account,” he said.
Dr. Adisa charged editors and publishers to move away from personality-driven and event-based reporting to issue-based journalism that puts citizens at the centre, interrogates manifestos, tracks campaign promises and reports the priority concerns of women, youths and vulnerable groups.
Also speaking, another resource person, Mr. Olusola Oludiran, in his presentation titled “Integrating Fact-Checking for Democratic and Accountability Reporting,” warned that the information space is fast becoming compromised with inaccurate narratives and falsehoods.
Oludiran said the rise of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, especially on social media, poses a serious threat to democratic governance and credible elections if not urgently addressed.
He said fake news thrives because it is often sensational, emotionally charged and designed to spread faster than verified information, making it imperative for editors to build fact-checking into their daily editorial routines.
While providing practical techniques on how to fact-check fake news, he urged journalists to always verify sources, check the authenticity of images and videos using reverse search tools, cross-check claims with credible data, and consult expert and official documents before publication.
According to him, the implication of fake news and false information is dangerous and can create significant damage when not nipped in the bud.
“False information can trigger violence, undermine public trust, distort electoral choices and destroy reputations within minutes. The cost of one unverified story can be far greater than the time it takes to verify it,” Oludiran cautioned.
He introduced participants to digital fact-checking tools including Google Fact Check Explorer, InVID, and TinEye verification guidelines, and encouraged newsrooms to establish internal fact-checking desks ahead of the 2027 elections.
Participants commended IPC and the European Union for the timely intervention and pledged to uphold professional and accountability standards in the build-up to the 2027 polls, noting that credible journalism remains central to restoring public trust in the electoral process.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Oyo State Council, Mr Akeem Abass-Aleshinloye, cautioned against sensational reporting during
