Writing By Teddy Daniel; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has concluded a series of capacity-building workshops in Kaduna State, aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and hate speech, identified as key drivers of insecurity and social tension.
The week long trainings brought together community-based organisations, civil society groups, women and youth leaders, security agencies, traditional rulers and religious leaders across the state.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria, Assistant Programme Officer,Mr Peter Yohanna, said the workshops were organised in phases to ensure inclusive participation and community ownership.
“Participants were drawn from civil society organisations, youth and women groups, security agencies including the Police, Civilian Joint Task Force and other local security outfits, as well as traditional and religious leaders. The aim is to equip them with skills to verify information before sharing,” he said.
Mr Yohanna noted that post training evaluations showed a significant improvement in participants’ understanding of information verification and fact checking, adding that the knowledge gained is expected to cascade to grassroots communities.
Also speaking, A CDD Facilitator, Austin Aigbe, described community leaders as the first line of defence against insecurity, stressing that many security crises begin at the local level.
“Disinformation, misinformation and hate speech fuel insecurity. Community leaders have a responsibility to stop false information before it escalates. What you cannot independently verify, do not share,” Aigbe warned.
He cited recent incidents in parts of Kaduna, where unverified information heightened tension, noting that accurate community level reporting could prevent avoidable crises.
Participants, including Islamic and Christian clerics, traditional rulers, women and youth leaders, pledged to take the message back to their communities through sensitisation campaigns in mosques, churches and community forums.
CDD says the initiative is part of its broader effort to strengthen peacebuilding, promote social cohesion and enhance community resilience against conflict triggers.
