Accra: The European Union (EU) delegation to Ghana has joined forces with DUBAWA, a prominent fact-checking and verification organization, to launch the second phase of their regional campaign aimed at combating disinformation and bolstering information integrity throughout Ghana and West Africa. This new phase, titled 'See the Pattern,' is an extension of the previously successful 'Check the Facts; Don't Get It Twisted' initiative, which was strategically implemented around Ghana's 2024 general election.
According to Ghana News Agency, the earlier campaign played a crucial role in promoting media literacy, critical thinking, and responsible information sharing, particularly among young voters. The new phase is set to tackle Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), a coordinated form of disinformation that threatens to undermine democratic processes, public trust, and social cohesion in the region.
The EU statement, signed by Mr. Abdul-Kudus Husein, Press and Information Officer of the EU in Ghana, highlights the growing challenge of information manipulation across Europe, Ghana, and the wider sub-region. The campaign's objective is to enhance the ability to anticipate, address, and respond to disinformation through advanced monitoring, capacity-building, and strategic engagement with content creators and influencers.
As part of this initiative, bloggers and digital content creators will receive training on global best practices for producing credible, engaging, and fact-based content. The campaign seeks to build upon the achievements of the 'Check the Facts; Don't Get It Twisted' initiative, reinforcing the EU and DUBAWA's commitment to protecting democratic values and the integrity of West Africa's information ecosystem.
Mr. Rune Skinneback, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, emphasized the ongoing threats faced by open societies, including attempts to manipulate and weaken shared democratic principles. He described the Regional Resilience Campaign as a proactive measure to promote transparency, awareness, and solidarity, empowering Ghanaians with the tools needed to discern truth from deception and strengthening institutions against hybrid threats.
Mr. Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), lauded the campaign as a timely and strategic response to the evolving disinformation landscape. He underscored the importance of deepening and institutionalizing fact-checking and open-source investigative work across West Africa.
Over the past seven years, CJID and DUBAWA have trained more than 1,000 journalists and published thousands of fact-checks in eight languages across eight countries. Mr. Babatunde expressed confidence that the partnership with the EU would significantly bolster regional resilience against FIMI.
The 2026 campaign is anticipated to provide valuable insights into disinformation trends and introduce innovative approaches to mitigating information disorder across the sub-region.