|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As part of activities marking the 2025 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation will on Saturday, November 1, 2025, host a virtual discussion on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The virtual event themed “Minds Over AI: MIL and Nigeria’s 2027 Election,” is organised in partnership with ROUNDCHECK, and will bring together journalists, fact-checkers, and media literacy experts to examine how AI could influence political communication, information credibility, and voter behaviour ahead of the polls.
Organisers say the discussion is timely as Nigeria moves closer to another election year. The 2023 general elections highlighted how technology can drive political narratives, with deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns used to sway public opinion.
As AI tools become more common and accessible, experts are increasingly concerned about their potential to distort facts and undermine public trust in democratic processes.
However, the Foundation also believes AI offers fresh opportunities to strengthen democracy, especially when used responsibly to improve information accuracy and civic participation.
More Read
The panel will feature Prof. Suraj Olunifesi, Associate Professor of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos and Global Co-Lead of the UNESCO University Network on MILID, as the lead discussant. He will be joined by Hannah Ajakaiye, Founder of FactsMatterNG; Caleb Ijioma, Executive Director of ROUNDCHECK; and Lois Ugbede, Assistant Editor at Dubawa Nigeria.
The session will be moderated by Opeyemi Toriola, a media literacy educator and trainer.
In a statement, Chiamaka Okafor, Executive Director of MILID Foundation, described the conversation as both urgent and necessary.
“One thing we are assured of in 2027 is that we will have a population heavily impacted by artificial intelligence. Now we must worry about what this impact will translate into in terms of the credibility of the elections,” she said.
She added that the session will equip journalists and citizens with the tools to critically engage with AI-driven information environments.
The virtual event will be held via Zoom from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (WAT). Interested participants can register through:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4umIuqRhR7e6XySPdpmyqQ
