Africa-Press – Ghana. Ahead of the upcoming Presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire this October 25, Penplusbytes, a non-profit organization, has expanded its regional engagement on disinformation to that country, to discuss strategies for strengthening democratic resilience there.
The engagement that convened government officials, civil society actors, academics, and media professionals in Abidjan, formed part of a broader regional initiative supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and implemented by Penplusbytes in partnership with West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) and the Sahel Institute for Democracy and Governance.
It followed a successful similar convening held in Accra, Ghana, last September.
Building on the Ghana convening in September, the Côte d’Ivoire edition spotlighted findings from the Disinformation Index Report (DIR), an evidence-based assessment of disinformation trends across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Presenting the findings, Madam Rebecca Avusu, a researcher at Penplusbytes, highlighted key insights specific to Côte d’Ivoire, which ranked second (after Ghana) among the four countries assessed in the Disinformation Index Report.
The report shows that Côte d’Ivoire achieved a 90 per cent score in universal detection of misinformation, with 53 per cent of respondents verifying content before sharing and 50 per cent reporting misinformation or disinformation to platforms.
These figures reflected the country’s growing public awareness and civic engagement in addressing false information, a trend that offered valuable lessons for the sub-region.
The session on the current state of the information space highlighted the growing spread of disinformation on social media, especially WhatsApp, and stressed the importance of fact-checking and mindful media consumption.
Mr Jerry Sam, Executive Director, Penplusbytes, reiterated his organisation’s commitment to “fostering cross-border collaboration and evidence-based strategies that strengthen democratic resilience across West Africa.
“By bringing together governments, civil society, media, and citizens, we aim to build a regional ecosystem capable of detecting, countering and ultimately reducing the harmful impact of disinformation on our democratic processes. Disinformation knows no borders, and neither can our response,” he said.
Officials of the Independent Electoral Commission of Ivory Coast, stated that “the official opening of the presidential campaign period marks a critical moment for our democracy.
“As we convene today, we recognise that the integrity of information circulating among voters is as essential as the integrity of the ballot itself.”
The Independent Electoral Commission therefore, called on all stakeholders, including candidates, media, civil society, and citizens, to uphold the truth and accuracy in political discourse.
“When voters have access to credible information, free from manipulation and falsehood, they can make informed choices that reflect their true will, ensuring peaceful and legitimate elections that strengthen our democratic foundations.”
The convening also provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange experiences, identify national vulnerabilities, and recommend practical measures to curb the growing influence of disinformation on democratic processes.
The discussions formed part of Penplusbytes’ ongoing efforts to promote cross-border learning and enhance the region’s collective resilience to disinformation.
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