Community Development Drive and Partners Engage Benue Stakeholders to Fight Misinformation and Build Social Cohesion

Benue Stakeholders Unite Against Misinformation to Foster Social Cohesion

Stakeholders across Benue State have emphasized the urgent need for collective efforts to combat misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech as essential steps toward strengthening peace and social cohesion in the region.

The call emerged from a High-Level Dialogue and Roundtable Discussion focused on “Unpacking Divisive Narratives and Promoting Social Cohesion,” organized by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in partnership with Tetra Tech. The initiative received support from UK Aid and the SPRiNG Project, highlighting international interest in Nigeria’s information ecosystem.

Mary Okpe, CDD Head of Programme and Team Lead, explained that the initiative was specifically designed to enhance information literacy while encouraging inclusive participation in policy discussions aimed at building sustainable peace in the state.

“The programme is about strengthening information literacy for the sake of building peace and social cohesion,” Okpe stated during the gathering, which brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders including civil society organizations, academics, traditional and religious leaders, and women and youth groups.

A distinctive feature of the project is its emphasis on a bottom-up approach to policymaking, moving away from traditional top-down governance models that have often failed to address community-specific concerns in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.

“The idea is to have these segments of persons contribute to discussions that would eventually lead to policy recommendations that are not top-down but bottom-up, so people can relate with them, connect with them and also implement them,” Okpe noted.

The dialogue created a platform for participants who had previously engaged in smaller group discussions to collaborate on broader issues surrounding information literacy and social cohesion, establishing a more cohesive approach to tackling divisive narratives that have plagued the state.

Benue State has experienced significant communal tensions and farmer-herder conflicts in recent years, making initiatives focused on social cohesion particularly relevant. Misinformation has frequently exacerbated these conflicts, with false narratives spreading rapidly through social media and informal communication channels.

Development Communication Practitioner and CDD Consultant Odoh Diego Okenyodo described the program as strategic training designed to equip community leaders and information managers with essential knowledge for countering harmful narratives that often fuel conflict.

“This is a training on countering misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. The idea is to equip information managers, academics, traditional and religious leaders with tools and understanding of how these issues can create tension in society,” he explained.

The timing of this initiative carries additional significance as Nigeria begins preparing for the 2027 general elections. Historical patterns suggest that election periods often witness increased circulation of misinformation and hate speech, potentially triggering violence in vulnerable communities.

“As we head towards the elections in 2027, security issues need to be better managed to ensure we have hitch-free and peaceful elections,” Okenyodo emphasized, noting that participants had already begun identifying practical strategies to counter disinformation and hate speech within their communities.

The program featured interactive sessions designed to deepen participants’ understanding of divisive narratives while strengthening strategies for promoting peace and responsible information sharing. These practical components aim to transform theoretical knowledge into actionable community-based initiatives.

Upon conclusion of the meeting, participants were encouraged to return to their communities as ambassadors of the initiative, spreading awareness about the importance of verifying information before sharing and avoiding the propagation of rumors or falsehoods.

The CDD initiative represents part of a growing recognition among civil society organizations and international partners that information literacy and social cohesion are fundamental components of conflict prevention and peacebuilding in Nigeria’s diverse and sometimes fragile communities.

As digital penetration continues to increase across Nigeria, including in semi-urban and rural areas of Benue State, efforts to build resilience against misinformation and hate speech have become increasingly vital to maintaining peace and stability in the region.