IN today’s fast-paced digital space, Nigerian youths are constantly immersed in an endless stream of information, primarily driven by social media platforms. While this access offers numerous opportunities for learning and engagement, it also comes with significant challenges, notably, digital information overload.
This overload, fuelled by the sheer volume of content, often leads to short attention spans, quick consumption of information, and exposure to conflicting narratives from various sources. The result is information disorder, where misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information mix, creating confusion. For young people, this can also lead to psychological stress and disorder, making it harder to navigate the complexities of the digital world.
Media literacy as a solution
The Global Media Literacy Week highlights the importance of media literacy, and the question of how young Nigerians can become more media-savvy and avoid falling prey to fake news.
Global media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, organised by UNESCO, is an annual event from October 24-31 that promotes media and information literacy worldwide. It aims to empower individuals with skills to critically evaluate information, combat misinformation, and engage responsibly with media.
The impact of misinformation in society and on individual decision-making is overwhelmingly negative. It can harm public health, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, escalate conflicts, influence election outcomes, and undermine social cohesion. In times of crisis, such as political or social unrest, misinformation can heighten tensions, further complicating efforts to restore order.
A recent report from The FactCheckHub details how information disorder can fan the embers of chaos, especially during times of public unrest. To mitigate these harmful effects, combating misinformation through media literacy education, fact-checking, and responsible digital citizenship is crucial.
The executive director of Round Check, Caleb Ijioma highlighted that media literacy empowers youths to think critically, recognise information’s impact, and grasp the intent behind media messages.
“In most situations, many Nigerian youths do not understand certain narratives, policies, acts, bills, or laws and therefore act and respond blindly. This is not to say they aren’t active citizens. However, to be actively involved in society, they must learn to understand the messages communicated to them.
Media literacy helps people think critically, understand the impact of information, and grasp the motives and actors behind it. It also focuses on understanding how these media messages are created. When this is done, people can make informed decisions, rather than decisions made with half-formed understanding of events.” Ijioma stated.
Engaging youth through fact-checking
The ICIR, through its Countering Misinformation and Media Literacy project, took this challenge head-on by training students from 12 Nigerian universities. In these sessions, students acknowledged that they had, at some point, fallen victim to misinformation or disinformation.
However, after two days of intensive training, they honed their fact-checking skills and attested to their newfound ability to recognise and counter information disorder.
The impact was profound and in some of the universities, fact-checking clubs were established, helping to pass on these critical skills to others. These clubs also organised awareness campaigns, spreading the message of responsible media consumption far beyond the classroom.
One student, Abdulrasheed Akere from Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto, said: “The prevalence of misinformation on campus has significantly reduced. Now, most students reach out to the fact-checking club before reposting or sharing any information they see on social media.”
Influencers and misinformation
An analysis by The FactCheckHub showed how social media influencers tried to launder the image of former minister of humanitarian affairs, Betta Edu, after her suspension by President Bola Tinubu.
Following allegations of approving the transfer of N585 million into a private account, social media users launched a coordinated campaign, posting at specific times to whitewash her image.
The negative impact of such coordinated campaigns, particularly when driven by influencers, can be far-reaching.
Their trusted voices easily amplify disinformation, manipulating their followers without them even realising they are being targeted.
Over time, these operations can damage the credibility of the influencers, polarise audiences, and exacerbate social, political, or ethnic tensions—leading to conflict.
Ijioma further noted that to critically assess media, one must understand how messages are crafted and their impact. Disinformation often exploits biases, prompting impulsive sharing without scrutiny, which can be dangerous.
“Disinformation actors use different approaches to spread their messages, one of which is leveraging people’s biases and emotions. People need to be cautious about this and avoid deciding to share something simply because it aligns with their biases. These actors want you to believe the message, so due to your biases, you may share without critically examining it, and that information can endanger lives.
“Also, consider what the message is promising: is it realistic? Do the promises in the message sound plausible? Is it achievable? Question these messages. Another important skill is identifying and understanding the difference between fact and opinion and recognising media manipulation,” he stated.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org