By Ismail Auwal
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has synergised with Tik Tok and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to tackle misinformation during upcoming Nigeria’s general election.
In a statement on Tuesday, the short-form video platform said the development is part of its #SaferTogether Initiative to ensure the electorate have access to factual and authoritative information about the elections.
The platform also unveiled “election hub”, an in-app guide on the elections.
The company The online platform also announced the launch of a live series tagged #TikTok4Peace in partnership with TikTok creators and NOA.
The series will be moderated by Victor Mathias, a multimedia journalist, and will feature key opinion leaders, civil society, and academia. It will focus on tolerance, building bridges, and active citizenship.
TikTok said on February 6, Mr Macaroni, a skit maker, will feature on the series to talk on the topic: “How can stakeholders work together to drive safe and fair elections?”
On February 8, Africa Check will also participate in the live series to discuss “Platform curated comedy – how can content creators promote peace & harmony on the internet?”.
In his remark, Ayodele Aluko, INEC’s director of voter education and publicity, said the initiative will help address disinformation and fake news.
“Part of INEC’s commitment in the electoral process is to engage young people who constitute a larger part of the voting population. This collaboration with TikTok to create an election hub where Nigerians can access credible information will help mitigate some of the greatest threats to credible elections,” he said.
“We strongly believe that this initiative will assist to counter misinformation, disinformation, and fake news.”
Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, TikTok’s director of public policy and government relations in sub-Saharan Africa, said the need to tackle misinformation has become imperative in a fast-paced digital world.
“We are continuously engaging with diverse stakeholders in Nigeria to discuss opportunities to mitigate the misuse of online platforms such as TikTok in a fast-paced digital world. Our resolve is to spread positivity in markets where we operate as we promote safety online,” he said.
On his part, Garba Abari, director-general of NOA, said growing hate speech and fake news pose threat to the credibility of the elections and national security and development if left unchecked.
