Expert: How Local-language fact-check can curb electoral disinformation

Alhassan Bala, a fact-checker and the publisher of Alkalanci (The Arbiter), the first Hausa-based language fact-checking and media literacy organization that tackles disinformation/misinformation, has identified strengthening fact-checking in Nigeria’s local languages as a right step to combating electoral disinformation and safeguarding the integrity of democratic process.

Bala highlighted this during a training course on Electoral Disinformation and Fact Checking for Nigerian Journalists organized by the Embassy of Spain in collaboration with Casa África and the CJID, in Abuja.

The programme brought together journalists from across the country to examine the growing threat of false information during elections and strategies for countering disinformation.

Speaking during the course, the expert stressed that misinformation often spreads rapidly in local languages, particularly through social media and community-based communication channels, making investments in local-language fact-checking initiatives essential for reaching wider audiences and promoting informed electoral participation.

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The Alkalanci publisher noted that strengthening the capacity of journalists and fact-checking noted that strengthening the capacity of journalists and fact-checkers to verify claims in indigenous languages would help reduce the impact of disinformation campaigns, especially during election periods when false narratives can influence the public and trust in democratic institutions.

“There are more than 250 local languages in Nigeria, and people tend to understand and think in their local languages more than in the English language. Local language disinformation evades detection because fact-checkers are trained in foreign languages and media organizations invest more in non-local-language fact-checking.”

Bala noted that local-language content remains particularly vulnerable to disinformation because most platforms trust trust and safety teams, as well as AI  moderation systems are primarily trained on English language content.

He said, “There are fewer trained fact-checkers in local languages than in English.”

According to him, broadcast narrations often spread disinformation in formats that are more difficult to search, archive and flag than written text.

Bala added, “In many cases, the messages come from familiar community voices, which increases perceived credibility and makes audiences more likely to trust and share them.”

Speaking at the event, the Cultural Adviser at the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria, Eva Barta Martin, underscored the importance of equipping journalists with the skills needed to identify and counter disinformation, particularly during election periods.

She said access to credible information is vital for informed public participation and Democratic development, adding that strengthening fact-checking capacities and media literacy initiatives can help build public trust in the information ecosystem.

Martin noted that collaboration among journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organizations and international partners remains essential in addressing the challenges posted by the rapid spread of false information across digital platforms.

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