West Africa’s verification and fact-checking platform, Dubawa, has unveiled the twenty-six fellows selected for its 2021 cohort of fact-checkers to combat misinformation in the sub-region.
The platform, under the auspices of the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), announced the commencement of the yearly fellowship in Abuja on Monday 17th May 2021.
Now in its third year, the 2021 fellowship is named Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking and Research Fellowship in honour of Ghanaian Professor, Kwame Karikari.
The successful applicants, drawn from over 200 applications in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, have undergone intensive training that will equip them in combating misinformation in West Africa sub-region.
They have been trained on the accountability journalism ecosystem in the sub-region; how to fix the current information disorder through legal, regulatory responses, and misinformation literacy.
They have also learned fact-checking methodology, the skills and steps involved in fact-checking, ethics of journalism and fact-checking; data presentation and analysis for fact-checking, media literacy, monitoring, and analysis of social media content and accounts; investigating websites, as well as freedom of information/right to Information laws in West Africa and the verification of digital tools.
The fellowship named after Professor Kwame Karikari, media freedom advocate and founder of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), is inspired by the need to tackle the menace of mis- and disinformation within the sub-region and beyond.
These names, countries, and media organizations of the 2021 Fellows are listed below:
1) Nana Yaa Ofosua Nyarko
Ghana
Angel Broadcasting Network Ghana (Angel FM)
2) Gideon Kwame Sarkodie Osei
Ghana
Adars FM
3) Kizito Cudjoe
Ghana
Business and Financial Times
4) Mercy Akosua Ansah
Ghana
Dinpa FM
5) Joshua Atinga Asaah
Ghana
A1 Radio
6) Antonia Mamawa Howard
Sierra Leone
Africa Young Voices Media
7) John-John Don-Michael Whitfield
Sierra Leone
Afriradio
8) Bettie Kemah Johnson-Mbayo
Liberia
The Stage Media
9) Josephine Gbeh Wreh
Liberia
Sky Communication Incorporated (Sky FM/TV)
10) Joe Wremongar Blojay
Liberia
Centre for Media Studies and Peacebuilding
12) Annonciata Gaena Byukusenge
Rwanda
Rwanda News 24
13) Funmilola Afolabi
Nigeria
Crest FM Ondo
14) Akogun Dare
Nigeria
SOBI 101.9 FM Ilorin
15) Sadiq Lami
Nigeria
Daily Trust Kaduna
16) Olatunbosun Micheal
Nigeria
Splash FM, Oyo State
17) Rahaman Abiola
Nigeria
Legit NG (NAIJ)
18) Ogunbamowo Elizabeth
Nigeria
Sahara Reporters
19) Nandang Nanji
Nigeria
Jay Modulation Frequency ( Jay101.9fm)
20) Adeoye Faith
Nigeria
The Nigerian Tribune
21) Adejo Daniel
Nigeria
FRCN
22) Lawal Mohammad
Nigeria
PR Nigeria
23) ABANG FORTUNE
Nigeria
NAN
24) Olorunsola Iyabode
Nigeria
NTA
25) Omogbolagun Temitope
Nigeria Punch
26) AISHA ALI
Nigeria
NOA
EDWARD SAMUEL
Nigeria
NOA.
DUBAWA is an independent, transparent and non-partisan verification and fact-checking platform, initiated by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) in 2018.
Dubawa aims at instituting a culture of truth and verification in public discourse and journalism through strategic partnerships between the media, government, civil society organisations, technology giants, and the public.
