A Spanish group, Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), and Fact Check Nigeria have trained journalists on how to report electoral issues in local languages before Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
The training took place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. It aimed to fix translation gaps and other language problems that could affect how accurate and inclusive electoral information is for different communities.
The three-day training ran from 13 to 16 October. This was the first part of a two-part series for the southern and northern regions. The second part will happen in Abuja.
The workshop was part of the European Union Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project. Journalists from various media platforms and states attended, including Lagos, Enugu, Edo, and Oyo.
FIAP is a Spanish public-sector group that focuses on promoting public administration through international cooperation programs.
Mustapha Lawal, an official with Fact Check Nigeria, said during his opening speech that the goal of the program is to train media professionals. This training will help them provide accurate and inclusive electoral coverage in local languages for the coming elections.
Mr Lawal said the program will tackle the “translation gap” and the details lost when translating English electoral terms into local languages.
He explained that participants will create an unofficial language register. This register will help standardise electoral terms across different indigenous languages.
“This three-day workshop is to help us see how we can come together to create an official language register, not particularly officially, but a step to making it official across many different languages that we have in the room,” Mr Lawal stated.
He added that they will also collaborate to improve reporting accuracy. This will help prevent misinformation and disinformation caused by poor translations.
Mr Lawal stressed that participants will ensure inclusive reporting. They will respect vulnerable communities and avoid causing offence through language differences.
During the three-day training, media professionals learned about indigenous language ecosystems, electoral concepts and terms, misinformation and verification, and electoral glossaries and style sheets.
Participants also had hands-on sessions where they translated real electoral information into their local languages like Yoruba, Ibibio, and Igbo.
The facilitators came from academic and media organisations, including Nsikak Idiong, a professor of journalism, political communication, and media studies from the University of Uyo.
Kingsley Alozie, a freelance journalist, shared his excitement about participating in the program to improve electoral reporting.
Theresa Donatus, a journalist with the Daily Times, said her reporting will help citizens make better choices about their civic duties.
“One of my key takeaways is that effective electoral communication goes beyond sharing information; it requires accuracy, context, inclusiveness, and responsibility,” Ms Donatus explained.
Ezinne Alozie, a broadcast journalist with Darling FM, said language is a “universal currency and a form of identity.”
She highlighted the need for thorough fact-checking when passing information through any means.
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