13/08/2026
More than 20 young people have taken their campaigns, videos and tools to Abuja to promote responsible use of social media and take part in the democratic debate.
Nigeria continues to face significant challenges in its electoral landscape due to the rapid spread of disinformation, false information and hate speech on digital platforms. Against this backdrop, young people – and Generation Z in particular – play a central role, both as major consumers of content and because of their ability to create and disseminate new narratives on social media.
In response to this challenge, FIAP has worked with young
influencers and content creators from different regions of Nigeria to strengthen their capabilities in the areas of information integrity, responsible digital participation and the prevention of disinformation. The initiative has been carried out through training camps held in Lagos, Enugu and Kano, as part of the European project ‘Support to ECOWAS on Peace, Security and Governance’.
The training has not been limited to learning. As part of their ongoing commitment, participants have put the knowledge they have gained into practice through campaigns such as #CheckBeforeYouPost, which encourages young people to follow this advice: “Before you share, pause. Before you believe, check.”
The work carried out over recent months at the training camps culminated in Abuja with the ‘Gen Z Voices Against Disinformation’ exhibition, designed as a space to share these experiences and strengthen a community of young people committed to a healthier information environment.
The event brought together more than 20 young creators from the
three regional cohorts, who presented their initiatives and exchanged experiences on the challenges they faced in applying what they had learnt to their communities.
Participants have also identified potential partners, commitments and opportunities for collaboration between different regions. In this way, the initiative has sought to build a network capable of sustaining the work beyond the training camps and enabling young people to support one another and take joint action against disinformation.
The results of this process have been shared with the public through digital campaigns, videos, illustrations, photographs, music, spoken-word pieces and other creative projects. The exhibition has thus highlighted how creativity can become an indispensable tool for strengthening the integrity of information and democratic participation.
This work forms part of efforts to strengthen democratic resilience ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, positioning young people not only as the target audience for information policies, but also as actors capable of actively contributing to the development of a more responsible digital ecosystem.
The project is being implemented jointly by FIAP, GIZ and Expertise France and co-funded by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
