200 Youth Influencers To Receive Training On Election Matters

Savana Signatures is to train 200 influential youth in northern Ghana on countering misinformation and disinformation as part of efforts to ensure peaceful 2024 general elections in the country.

Beneficiaries of the project will be selected from the Northern, North East, Savannah, and Upper East regions to receive capacity-building on identifying and countering misinformation and disinformation before, during, and after the December 2024 elections.

This is being done under the project titled “Media Literacy and Youth Empowerment for Peaceful Election” funded by the US Embassy in Ghana. The 10-month project will enhance the knowledge of online and offline youth influencers from the target regions on the phenomenon of mis/disinformation and equip them with the relevant tools and skills for analysing content and how to counter mis/disinformation, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2024 electioneering processes in Ghana.

As part of the project, a training manual on countering misinformation and disinformation will be developed for training both online and offline youth influencers in the various regions.

“This initiative will play a key role in building social cohesion in northern Ghana and promote inclusive democratic practices among the youth, who are often the targets or perpetrators of false narratives that threaten our security,” said Stephen Kwabena Effah, Ag. Communications Manager, in a statement announcing the project.

He highlighted the threats of mis/disinformation to Ghana’s security, noting the manipulation of information by some individuals and political party actors, often amplified by unsuspecting people, could jeopardise the general elections.

In the run-up to the polls, political parties, their candidates and agents are increasingly exploiting social media with lots of disinformation and misinformation, the Ag. Communication Manager observed and underscored the need to train social media users with strong following to check the menace.

Mr Effah said training online influencers on identifying and countering misinformation and disinformation has thus become important, as social media has now transformed into a powerful tool for political actors in the country.

“Social media now is not only used to engage with the electorate and reach a wider audience, but also, to propagate fake news and strengthen specific political agenda.”

“We believe that once the youth are equipped with the necessary tools and education, they will be able to critically think and analyse content for misinformation and disinformation before sharing it with their audience. This way, they become gatekeepers for their respective online and offline communities,” Mr Effah stated.

The Ag. Communications Manager also indicated that once people fail to ensure checks and balances on the information they share, especially on social media, they risk becoming tools for spreading misinformation and disinformation.

He said through the Media Literacy and Youth Empowerment for Peaceful Election project, the youth in northern Ghana will be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and counter these threats, ensuring a more informed and peaceful electoral process in December.