Young Nigerian social media influencers, content creators and digital communicators have showcased creative approaches to combating misinformation, disinformation and harmful online narratives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The two-day national exhibition, tagged “#CheckBeforeYouPost: Gen Z Voices Against Disinformation,” was held from August 6 to 7, 2026, at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja. The exhibition was organised by the Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), through its implementing partner, FactCheckAfrica, under the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project.
It brought together young digital creators, journalists, civic actors, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to highlight youth-led efforts aimed at promoting information integrity and peaceful democratic participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The participating creators were drawn from three regional #CheckBeforeYouPost Social Media Influencer Training Camps held in Lagos, Enugu and Kano.
At the training camps, the participants were equipped with skills in electoral integrity, misinformation and disinformation, fact-checking, ethical content creation, responsible digital engagement and peace-oriented communication.
The first day of the exhibition provided an opportunity for participants from the three cohorts to exchange experiences, reflect on lessons from the training and explore opportunities for continued collaboration.
The second day featured a public showcase of creative tools developed by the Gen Z participants, including campaign graphics, short-form videos, illustrations, photographs, spoken-word performances, songs, short films, digital content and pilot micro-campaigns.
The tools were designed to encourage responsible information sharing and counter harmful narratives in Nigeria’s increasingly digital civic space.
The programme also unveiled several resources developed through the initiative, including the Responsible Influencer Kit, Pre-electoral Pilot Micro-Campaign, Map of Nigerian Digital Micro-Communities, Charter of Ten Principles for Social Media Users Committed to Integrity of Political Information and Peace, and the Safe Journalism Toolkit.
A youth roundtable also examined the future of the #CheckBeforeYouPost movement and the role of young digital creators in promoting information integrity and peaceful democratic participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Representatives of the European Union, German Embassy, Embassy of Denmark, Spanish Cooperation, ECOWAS and FIAP participated in the exhibition and engaged with the young creators and other stakeholders.
Speaking on the initiative, Abideen Olasupo, Founder of FactCheckAfrica, said the exhibition demonstrated the potential of young Nigerians to play a greater role in addressing information disorder.
He noted that young people were not merely consumers of information but also creators and distributors who increasingly shape public conversations through their digital platforms.
Olasupo said the initiative had shown that providing young creators with the necessary skills, tools and networks could position them as champions of information integrity and peaceful democratic participation.
“Young people are not just audiences in today’s information ecosystem; they are creators, distributors and influential voices shaping public conversations every day. The #CheckBeforeYouPost initiative demonstrates that when young creators are equipped with the right skills, tools and networks, they can become powerful champions of information integrity and peaceful democratic participation,” he said.
He added that the programme would continue beyond the exhibition through collaboration among participants and the practical application of the skills and resources developed during the intervention.
The exhibition brought together outputs from the Lagos, Enugu and Kano cohorts, marking a transition from individual training to collective action.
Through the initiative, participating creators are expected to continue encouraging their audiences to verify information before sharing, challenge harmful narratives and promote informed civic participation as Nigeria approaches the 2027 electoral cycle.
The programme also showed the need for greater collaboration among young digital creators, journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organisations, development partners and regional institutions to build a healthier information ecosystem capable of supporting credible and peaceful democratic processes.
The Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP) is the Spanish Cooperation entity specialised in promoting the participation of public administrations in Spanish and European cooperation programmes and projects. FIAP supports the development of public systems in more than 120 countries by mobilising public sector expertise to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience between counterpart institutions from different countries. As a public foundation, FIAP’s work forms part of Spain’s and Europe’s external action.
FIAP is currently co-implementing Component 3 of the EPSG Project in West Africa with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), focusing on strengthening electoral processes through the prevention of electoral violence and the countering of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
The overall objective of the EPSG Project is to enhance peace, security, and governance within the ECOWAS region. The project is a multi-donor initiative co-financed by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MOFA).
