Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development Combats Disinformation as Côte d’Ivoire Holds Elections Today

In a significant move to safeguard electoral integrity, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has deployed a specialized team to Côte d’Ivoire for today’s presidential election. The team, consisting of fact-checkers, researchers, and data analysts, aims to combat disinformation that could undermine the democratic process in the West African nation.

The initiative comes at a crucial time for Côte d’Ivoire, which has experienced political tensions during previous electoral cycles. Through its fact-checking arm, DUBAWA, CJID has established strategic partnerships with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), local media organizations, and civil society groups to ensure voters have access to verified, real-time information throughout the electoral period.

Akintunde Babatunde, CJID’s Executive Director, emphasized the importance of information integrity during elections. “Our work in Côte d’Ivoire will help ensure that citizens make informed decisions based on facts, not falsehoods,” he said in a statement. “The credibility of any election is tied to the quality of information available to the electorate.”

The organization’s presence in Côte d’Ivoire isn’t new. CJID has been operating in the country for approximately 18 months, during which it has conducted training for journalists on identifying election-related disinformation. The group has also engaged with first-time voters on media literacy, equipping them with skills to discern credible information from propaganda.

“For us, the media is central to building a democratic society,” Babatunde noted, acknowledging the collaborative efforts with partners like WANEP and CIVICUS in strengthening the country’s information ecosystem.

This deployment builds on CJID’s extensive regional experience in electoral monitoring. The organization has previously conducted similar interventions across West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Guinea. These efforts align with CJID’s broader mission to protect democratic processes through evidence-based journalism and accountability reporting.

Beyond fact-checking, CJID’s Media in National Elections (MiNE) team will analyze how media influences democratic participation in the region. Researchers, data analysts, and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) experts will generate data-driven insights that could prove valuable for understanding the complex relationship between democracy and development in West Africa.

The timing of this initiative is particularly significant as West Africa has witnessed several contentious elections and democratic backsliding in recent years. Countries like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso have experienced military takeovers, while others have seen incumbent leaders extend their terms through controversial constitutional changes.

Disinformation during elections has become a growing concern across Africa, with social media platforms often serving as vectors for false narratives that can inflame tensions or undermine trust in electoral processes. By providing fact-checking services and promoting media literacy, CJID aims to create a more informed electorate that can resist manipulation attempts.

The Ivorian presidential election is being closely watched by regional and international observers as a test of the country’s democratic resilience. Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer and a significant economic power in West Africa, has struggled with political instability in the past, notably following disputed elections in 2010 that led to a brief civil conflict.

Through its comprehensive approach combining fact-checking, media literacy, and data analysis, CJID’s intervention represents an important contribution to electoral integrity in a region where democratic institutions continue to face significant challenges.