Truth in Verse festival highlighted how spoken-word poetry conveys Media and Information Literacy messages across themes like gender, AI, human rights, and elections.

In his opening address, ROUNDCHECK’s Executive Director, Caleb Ijioma, explained that Truth in Verse grew from his passion for spoken-word poetry and his work in fact-checking.  

According to him, the festival was designed as a space where poetry, storytelling, workshops, and conversations can come together to encourage critical thinking and responsible media engagement.

He highlighted Nigeria’s large and youthful online population, noting that while millions engage with digital content daily, only a small percentage possess the skills to critically evaluate the information they encounter, further describing spoken-word poetry as an effective way to reach young people, carrying messages in ways that are easy to connect with, remember, and share.

“ Truth in Verse offers more than a traditional learning experience. It invites young people to feel, to question, and to grow. Through this festival, we raised awareness about misinformation, critical thinking skills, built collaboration between poets, journalists, and educators, and produced resources that will last beyond today,” he said.

Motunrayo Joel, Deputy Editor, Africa Check, harped on the need for young people to start developing a habit of checking information before sharing. She explained that people need to look beyond biases and evaluate media messages before consuming them.

Highlights of the festival included several panel sessions, with experts sharing insights on how newsrooms can strengthen MIL, and how different strategies can be employed to promote the practice in Africa. 

Senior Reporter at The Nation newspaper, Alao Abiodun, emphasised that fact-checking must begin at the reporting stage, describing reporters as the first line of defence against misinformation. He stressed that accuracy and credibility must be ensured before stories reach editors.

UNESCO MIL expert, Dr Olunifesi Suraj, shifted attention to education, arguing that Media and Information Literacy must begin from the classroom. He described the disconnect between academic training and newsroom practice as a major setback to effective verification.

“Students should not graduate without acquiring practical fact-checking and verification skills,” he said, emphasising the importance of collaboration between educators, practitioners, and fact-checking organisations to better prepare students for modern newsroom realities. 

Also reacting, Allwell Okpi, Community Manager, Africa Check, spoke on newsroom collaboration, observing that while partnerships between newsrooms and fact-checking organisations have existed, many lacked structure and sustainability. 

AllWell stressed the need for more intentional collaborations that allow fact-checking expertise to flow directly into newsroom operations, noting that news organisations remain powerful channels for promoting Media and Information Literacy.

Victor Ejechi, Head of Insights at SBM Intelligence, addressed the role of data and analytics in detecting misinformation trends, encouraging journalists to become more comfortable with numbers. He described data as central to verification, particularly when reporting government statistics, budgets, and socio-economic indicators.

Meanwhile, the Founder of Naija Poetry Fest, Godson Osarenren, emphasised that bringing young people together through creative platforms helps to amplify advocacy and encourage social change. He added that through consistent creative expression, young people can be empowered to stand for truth and become agents of change within society.

Spoken word artist Mariam Tijani noted that poetry is a very powerful tool for change, which has a way of transforming complex words into simple meanings. According to her, “‎poetry cannot just be for expressing feelings, but can be used to advocate change.”

Key recommendations were provided, including integration of fact-checking and MIL into journalism education, continuous newsroom training on data literacy, and the use of creative expressions, like poetry and art, to improve MIL.

The event featured a brief introduction to Roundcheck’s new product, Civic Play, a web game created to improve civic awareness and foster civic participation. 

Project manager, Ilerioluwa Phillips, explained that this web game was created with young Nigerians in mind, as they can learn while having fun.

The event ended with the launch of the Truth in Verse Anthology, which included poems by participants.

This anthology confirms the impactful collaboration between the poetry community and journalism. As we forge ahead, more practical efforts will be made to sustain this partnership, to make people aware of the dangers of mis/disinformation and the importance of MIL.

Download here: TRUTH IN VERSE

The festival comes at a critical time, as misinformation continues to spread across social media, shaping conversations around elections, public health, and social issues. Although, Nigeria has more than 122 million internet users, only a small fraction possess the skills to critically evaluate online information. 

Organisers say the festival aims to give young people a more relatable entry point into media literacy through performance, creativity and storytelling.

Activities for the day will include themed poetry performances, MIL workshops, a panel session, and an open mic segment. An anthology, Poetry Against Fake News, will also be unveiled, featuring pieces written by participants.

ROUNDCHECK noted that the festival aligns with its ongoing advocacy to make media literacy more accessible and engaging for young Nigerians. It believes spoken word has become an effective tool for digital education because of its emotional depth and strong appeal to youth audiences.

Speaking about the festival, RoundCheck’s Executive Director, Caleb Ijioma, said the project reflects the organisation’s push for creative approaches to media literacy.

“The Truth in Verse Festival is our way of using spoken-word poetry to carry media and information literacy messages across themes like gender, AI, human rights, and elections. Young people connect with poetry in a powerful way, and we want to use that energy to strengthen MIL awareness,” he said.

“We need more strategic and accessible ways to teach media literacy, and this festival is one of them. RoundCheck is committed to this work, and we’re able to push it forward with the support of our partners.”

The event is supported by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Africa Check, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and FactsMatterNG, with CableCheck, Yali Network Lagos, Media Career Development Network and Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation as media partners.

Registration is open to the public, and organisers encourage young creatives and media enthusiasts to participate via https://bit.ly/TruthInVerse. Application deadline is December 7, 2025.

Participants can also submit poetry materials here. Selected poems will be included in an anthology.