ECOWAS Trains Journalists on Combating Misinformation & Disinformation in West Africa
By Sahr Ibrahim Komba
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in collaboration with Media Foundation for West Africa and GIZ has concluded a two-day training workshop for journalists on promoting information integrity and tackling misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information in West Africa.
The workshop brought together journalists and provided practical knowledge and tools to strengthen professional reporting in an era increasingly challenged by information disorder.
The event took place at the Atlantic Lumley Beach Hotel in Freetown on 25&26 September 2025.
In his presentation, Dr. Francis Sowa Esq emphasized the critical role of the media as the fourth estate in promoting peace and stability. He urged journalists not to allow political parties to use the media as a conduit for political polarization.
“Information that is not based on reliability is a recipe for anarchy. Impartial and independent reporting is key in the profession,” he said, warning that the rise of new media which creates wider access to information also carries serious threats to societal stability.
Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador John Azuma, speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission President, expressed gratitude to the facilitators and stressed the urgent need to counter misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information in West Africa. He underscored the pivotal role journalists play in consolidating democratic governance in the region.
“The pen is mightier than the sword. Journalists must shape and transform society positively,” he noted, adding that ECOWAS remains committed to supporting journalists with professional training to meet emerging challenges.
He revealed that disinformation threatens peace and security in the region and reaffirmed the Commission’s proactive steps to empower journalists with fact-checking skills, professional use of artificial intelligence, and investigative tools to identify and counter false information.
Speaking on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the German government Johannes Behrens who is Head of Development at the German Embassy in Freetown, reiterated his country’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS in promoting regional peace, stability, and economic integration.
“Germany shares a common vision with ECOWAS to address the region’s challenges and to create opportunities for lasting peace and stability. We look forward to continuing this partnership beyond these training sessions,” he said.
In an interview with Marilyn King, one of the participants, she expressed gratitude to ECOWAS and partners for training journalists on how to handle misinformation and disinformation to promote information integrity in West Africa “We are now empowered and ready to engage in professional reporting regardless of the threats journalists face on daily bases.
I learned the professional use of OSINT Google Earth Rocket chat and how to protest data on and offline.
She urged ECOWAS and partners to continue professional training for journalists and to also allow Sierra Leonean journalists to collaborate with other journalists in the region.
She called on journalists to always engage in professional reporting to counter misinformation and disinformation in the region.
The training also equipped journalists with modern investigative and digital tools such as Google Earth, OSINT Essentials, Signal Dust, and Rocket Chat among others to strengthen professional reporting. Participants were further trained on how to counter bad actors in the media ecosystem, tackle disinformation threats in the digital environment, and foster responsible journalism.
At the close of the event, participants were reminded that journalists remain the first line of defense in safeguarding information integrity and promoting peace and stability in West Africa.
