Lagos: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says threats to the 2027 Elections by emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and coordinated disinformation campaigns are no longer peripheral digital concerns. Mr. Michel Kenmoe, UNESCO’s West Africa Advisor for Communication and Information, made this known at the opening session of a two-day meeting, organised by GIZ, Nigeria Democratic Institute (NDI) with support from UNESCO.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting brought together regulators, development partners, and civil society organisations to deliberate on strategies to safeguard information integrity and avoid deepfakes ahead of the country’s upcoming elections. Kenmoe highlighted that election periods are increasingly vulnerable to manipulation through fake news, hate speech, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and emerging AI technologies. He warned that misinformation and disinformation have become major threats to democratic participation, electoral integrity, and public trust.
The UNESCO official noted that deepfakes, synthetic audio, AI-generated images, and personalised influence campaigns are becoming cheaper and easier to deploy. He also raised concerns about the growing influence of major digital platforms in controlling the visibility, circulation, and moderation of information globally. He mentioned that the Praia Regional Conference on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel, held in Cabo Verde in 2025, produced a regional policy framework and action plan to address these challenges.
According to him, a Practical Guide for Regulatory Bodies implementing the Praia Policy Framework has also been developed by UNESCO, African Communication Regulation Authorities Network, and REFRAM, with support from Global Affairs Canada through the NDI. The Praia Policy Framework aims to promote a coherent and integrated approach to information integrity policies, improve governance of digital platforms while protecting human rights, and strengthen the resilience of populations to disinformation and hate speech. It also seeks to promote inclusive access to information and data of public interest and strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement in support of information integrity in West Africa and the Sahel.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Charles Ebuebu, described Nigeria as Africa’s most significant digital arena with over 150 million internet users. Ebuebu stated that developments within Nigeria’s information ecosystem have implications beyond its borders, affecting the integrity of elections, the safety of vulnerable populations, and the trust citizens place in public institutions. He noted that Nigeria was the first country in West Africa to begin applying the Guide for Regulators to Implement the Information Integrity Model Policy Framework in a dedicated national setting.
According to him, the country’s legal and regulatory framework already provides a strong foundation for digital governance, but coordination among institutions remains critical. He listed the institutions involved as media regulators, data protection authorities, cybersecurity agencies, telecommunications regulators, and electoral bodies. Ebuebu emphasized that coordination is no longer a virtue but a necessity. He said participants at the meeting would review the Praia Policy Framework and identify practical steps for implementation in Nigeria, focusing on electoral periods, vulnerable groups, crisis situations, and inter-agency collaboration.
Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Media Rights Advocate and Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, also spoke at the meeting. He stated that the Praia Policy Framework was designed to provide a rights-based and multi-stakeholder response to disinformation, emphasizing freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, and media freedom. Ojo added that the framework calls for transparency in digital platform governance, algorithmic accountability, media literacy, and stronger protection for vulnerable groups. According to him, measures against disinformation must not be used to suppress free speech or justify arbitrary content takedowns and internet shutdowns. He said the framework encourages member states to strengthen early warning systems, rapid response mechanisms, and public awareness campaigns. Participants were expected to develop a short-term implementation roadmap to strengthen information integrity ahead of future elections.