No fewer than one thousand students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, media and technology experts, academics, civic leaders have been trained by on fact- checking.
The move, designed to fight misinformation and ensure digital rights was an initiative of the Brain Builders Youths Development Initiatives (BBYDI).
The one-day Fact-Checking Training and Digital Rights Conference, for Mass Communication students held at the Federal Polytechnic, in Ado-Ekiti was supported by FactChecknet and Poynter.
It was also geared towards equipping young Nigerians with very paramount skills on how to become ethical media practitioners in the shaping of an African truthful reporting future.
Declaring the workshop open, the Polytechnic Rector, Engr. Dr. Temitope Alake admonished the participants to pay rapt attention to the lessons and make the most of the opportunity presented by the training.
Alake who was represented by the Deputy Rector, of Administration, Dr. Michael Olabowale Akinola commended Acting Head of Mass Communication Department, Dr. Adebayo Oguntuase and the organisers, BBYDI’s FactCheckAfrica for equipping young minds with knowledge and tools in driving AI-mediated media practice, at the particular time.
The institution’s Head of Department, Mass Communication, Dr. Oguntuase in his welcome address said the conference aimed at bridging the gap between the industry and academic.
He noted that the department has secured National Broadcasting Commission license to commence Polytechnic Radio to enhance practical knowledge of students.
Experts who took turn to speak at the conference stressed the need to create an avenue for deepening knowledge of fact-checking and digital rights in an age plagued by misinformation.
The Global Director of BBYDI and Convener of FactCheckAfrica, Olasupo Abideen expressed the organization resolve towards taking the fight against misinformation to all youths in Nigeria and equipping them with the core skills of fact-checking.
Dr. Adebola Adeniyi-Agbaje, General Manager of Progress FM, in her keynote address, stated that the world is experiencing increased cases of fake news, which requires more infrastructures like #MyAiFactChecker to ensure standard and verified information.
