Listen to the article
West African Content Creators Pledge to Combat Disinformation in EU-Backed Initiative
Content creators from across West Africa have committed to promoting information integrity during a webinar focused on combating the growing threat of disinformation in the region. The virtual event, jointly hosted by the European Union in Ghana, the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID), and DUBAWA Ghana, brought together bloggers, tech experts, and social media influencers from Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana.
Participants acknowledged the troubling trend of commercialized disinformation on social media platforms and pledged to confront these practices within their spheres of influence. The discussion highlighted how financial incentives tied to engagement metrics have transformed misinformation from an occasional problem into a persistent threat to regional stability.
Deputy EU Ambassador Jonas Claes emphasized the EU’s proactive stance against disinformation. “We don’t just wag our finger at disinformation, we actively try to do something about it,” Claes stated. “We combat disinformation throughout Africa, including in West Africa and Ghana, where the phenomenon has been on the rise.”
Claes noted a concerning shift in Ghana’s information landscape over recent years. “Two to three years ago, the risk in Ghana was fairly mild, but online actors increasingly engage in the manipulation of information with the express purpose to undermine stability, create tensions, or harm EU-Ghana relations,” he said. “The EU suffers from it, Ghana suffers from it, and the EU-Ghana relation suffers from it.”
The webinar featured a diverse panel of regional content creators, including Kerkula Blama from Liberia, Nat Hyde (known as “Bongo Ideas”) from Ghana, Rahmatulla Mahmud from Nigeria, and Ghanaian influencers Philomena Antonio and Kobby Spiky Nkrumah.
In a candid moment during the discussion, Kerkula Blama, CEO of the Liberian digital platform Chase, admitted to previously spreading disinformation himself. His perspective changed, however, after participating in DUBAWA training programs. “I will continue utilizing the skills I have learned from DUBAWA and desist from posting anything that will be seen as disinformation,” Blama committed.
Ghanaian philanthropist and content creator Philomena Antonio called for greater accountability from technology companies, urging social media platforms to strengthen their mechanisms for identifying and removing false content. “I pledge not to post any information I have not fact-checked,” she stated.
Popular Ghanaian blogger Nat Hyde acknowledged the pressures associated with the pursuit of viral content but emphasized his commitment to verification. “I will ensure that every information I put out is fact-checked and that I follow the right processes to avoid spreading falsehood,” he said.
DUBAWA Ghana’s disinformation experts provided context on evolving patterns of false information in the sub-region. Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers highlighted how coordinated disinformation campaigns have increasingly been linked to anti-democratic narratives, including online advocacy for military coups.
“Disinformation campaigns have driven violence, validated military coups, masked corruption, and damaged reputations,” Brako-Powers explained. He added that the quest for virality, monetization, and influence often motivates the spread of misleading content, ultimately eroding information integrity across the region.
Fellow expert Maxine Gloria Danso examined the consequences of monetized misinformation, warning that financial incentives tied to engagement metrics encourage harmful content creation. “Profiting from false information can cause reputational harm, distort public perception and, in extreme cases, inflame tensions and conflict,” she said.
Danso further observed that while disinformation is not a new phenomenon, evolving digital business models have made it more complex and difficult to combat effectively.
The webinar, hosted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), concluded with participants renewing their commitment to prioritize verification, ethical content creation, and responsible digital engagement across West Africa.
This event forms part of the “See the Pattern” campaign, launched in January 2026 by the EU and DUBAWA to strengthen information integrity in Ghana and the broader West African sub-region. The initiative comes at a critical time for the area, which has experienced increasing political instability and challenges to democratic governance in recent years.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
14 Comments
This initiative seems like a positive step, but the challenge of combating disinformation remains daunting. Maintaining momentum and accountability will be crucial for long-term impact.
You raise a fair point. Sustaining these efforts and ensuring measurable progress will be critical. Ongoing collaboration between local stakeholders and the EU will be key.
The EU’s involvement and support for this West African-led effort is encouraging. Grassroots initiatives to tackle disinformation are essential, and I hope this leads to meaningful change.
Agreed. Empowering local content creators and leveraging their networks is a smart approach. Collaborative solutions that address the root causes are most likely to succeed.
Interesting initiative to combat disinformation in West Africa. Financial incentives are a major driver behind the spread of misinformation on social media – addressing this root cause is crucial.
Absolutely, the EU’s proactive stance and support for local content creators is commendable. Grassroots efforts to promote information integrity are key to tackling this challenge.
Commercialized disinformation is a complex challenge, but this initiative seems like a step in the right direction. I’m curious to see how the content creators plan to confront this issue.
Same here. The webinar’s focus on financial incentives and regional stability is promising. Hearing more details on their specific strategies would be informative.
Kudos to the West African content creators for taking a stand against disinformation. Addressing the problem at the grassroots level is critical, and the EU’s support is encouraging.
Agreed. Collaborating with local influencers and experts is a smart approach, as they have a deep understanding of the regional context and challenges. I hope this leads to tangible results.
I’m glad to see West African influencers and experts coming together to address this pressing issue. Commercialized disinformation can have serious consequences for regional stability.
Indeed, the webinar’s focus on the financial incentives behind misinformation is an important step in understanding and countering this phenomenon. Building local capacity is crucial.
Combating commercialized disinformation is a vital issue, and I’m glad to see West African content creators taking the lead. Their commitment to promoting information integrity is commendable.
Absolutely. The EU’s involvement and support for this initiative is also encouraging. Fostering regional cooperation to address this problem is an important step.