To combat the growing threat of fake news at the community level, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Nigeria and the Centre for Journalism and Innovative Development (CJID) have taken their anti-disinformation campaign directly to the grassroots, engaging residents of the Sokoto North Local Government Area on the dangers of misleading narratives and how to build local resilience in the State.
The Community step-down engagement, held on Monday, October 6, 2026, took place simultaneously at the District Head’s Office in Waziri B and Aliyu Gagare Hall in Gidan Igwai.
The four-hour engagement, which ran from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., brought together 40 participants from the two communities, including community and religious leaders, women, youths and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
The programme focused on helping participants understand misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, as well as the differences between them and their potential effects on individuals and communities.
Participants were also taken through practical approaches to identifying and verifying information before sharing, publishing or acting on it.
The sessions provided opportunities for participants to share their experiences, ask questions and discuss community-based approaches to reducing the spread and impact of harmful information.
The engagement was coordinated under the leadership of HRH Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar III (Chiroma), with supervision from the Head of Programmes, WANEP Nigeria, Mrs Patience Ikpeh Obaulo, and the organisation’s Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Mr Emmanuel Ami-Okhani.
One of the facilitators, Ibrahim Muhammad Amali, said the discussions were designed not only to raise awareness about harmful information but also to encourage responsible communication within communities.
He said participants were encouraged to pause and verify information before forwarding or acting on it, stressing the importance of building community resilience against the effects of false or harmful information.
A highlight of the engagement was the participation of Arc. Ibrahim Almustapha, a Person With Disability from Kofar Marke, who shared his experience of pursuing education and professional development despite challenges associated with his disability.
His contribution also prompted discussions around greater inclusion of Persons With Disabilities in community affairs.
The Coordinator expressed willingness to support Almustapha’s involvement in matters concerning PWDs, while other stakeholders encouraged him to participate in ongoing PWD leadership processes.
WANEP Nigeria also collected his details for possible follow-up.
Amali said the engagement demonstrated that meaningful community engagement should provide opportunities for people to express their views, identify existing capacities within their communities and connect participants with relevant opportunities.
He added that the inclusion of PWDs, women, youths, religious leaders and other Community stakeholders was important in ensuring that no group was left behind in efforts to build resilient Communities.
The two sessions were concluded with the planned activities, attendance documentation and closing sessions involving the Coordinator, WANEP Nigeria supervisors and the facilitation teams.
The organisers urged participants to adopt responsible information-sharing practices and verify information before disseminating it.
“Pause. Verify. Think. Share Responsibly.”
