Spain trains Nigerian fact-checkers and journalists in AI applications and digital cybersecurity

Casa África, in collaboration with the DG Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, the Embassy of Spain in Nigeria and the Centre for Journalism Innovation & Development (CJID) of Nigeria, through its verification platform Dubawa, organizes two training courses in information verification and digital cybersecurity for Nigerian journalists. 

The courses will have the participation of two specialized trainers from the Spanish media outlets Maldita.es and Newtral, who will share their knowledge and experience with the Dubawa verifiers and with other journalists interested in fact-checking. 

One of the courses will be advanced and will be aimed exclusively at the Dubawa verifiers, who will learn to apply Artificial Intelligence systems to their information verification processes. The trainers will teach them to understand how the new AI tools work and how to use them to detect and debunk misinformation. 

The other course will be generic and will be offered to journalists who want to start or improve their fact-checking skills. The course will include classes on topics such as ChatGPT, advanced internet search, disinformation techniques, image and video verification, digital cybersecurity for journalists and fact-checking ethics. 

This initiative is part of the #PeriodismoÁfrica program of Casa África, which seeks to bring Africa and Spain closer together through educational, economic, cultural and informative activities. For 15 years, Casa África has been fighting against stereotypes in the narratives about the African continent and supporting the role of journalism as a powerful tool in the fight against misinformation. 

The training in Abuja is the third training experience of the #PeriodismoÁfrica program, which aims to take advantage of the talent and high innovation existing in the field of verification and the fight against misinformation in Spain to improve the training of African journalists, who have a huge challenge in misinformation. The first two experiences were carried out in Kenya and Namibia, with great success and satisfaction from the participants. 

Casa África plans to continue deepening this program, as early as next September through the IV Meeting of Journalists Africa-Spain, which will take place in Madrid on September 26-27 and will focus on both misinformation and narratives about Africa in Spain and Europe. 

José Segura Clavell, director general of Casa África, said: “We are very proud to collaborate with our Nigerian partners in this training program that aims to strengthen the capacities of African journalists in fact-checking and digital security. We believe that these skills are essential for a quality journalism that can inform citizens and combat misinformation that can undermine democracy and human rights.”