2027: Spanish group, Fact Check Nigeria train journalists on indigenous-language reporting

A Spanish organisation, Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), and Fact Check Nigeria have trained journalists on reporting electoral issues in indigenous languages ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

The training, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, focused on addressing translation gaps and other language-related challenges that could affect the accuracy and inclusiveness of electoral information reaching diverse communities.

The three-day programme, which ran from 13 to 16 October, was the first of a two-part southern and northern series, with the second part scheduled to hold in Abuja.

The workshop, organised under the European Union Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, brought together journalists from different media platforms and states, including Lagos, Enugu, Edo and Oyo.

FIAP is a Spanish public-sector organisation that specialises in promoting public administration through international cooperation programmes and projects.

Closing translation gaps

Mustapha Lawal, an official with Fact Check Nigeria, in his opening address said the aim of the programme is to train media professionals to provide accurate and inclusive electoral coverage in indigenous languages ahead of the upcoming elections.

Mr Lawal noted that the programme will address the “translation gap” and nuances lost when translating English electoral terms into local languages.

He said participants will create an unofficial language register to standardise electoral terminology across various 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 said.

He said they will also work together to improve the accuracy of reporting to prevent misinformation and disinformation caused by poor translation.

Mr Lawal emphasised that the participants will ensure inclusive reporting that respects vulnerable communities and avoids accidental offence through linguistic nuance.

During the three-day training, media professionals were taken through indigenous language ecosystems, electoral concepts and terminologies, misinformation and verification, and electoral glossary and style sheets.

Also, participants had practical sessions where they translated real-world electoral information into their local languages, including Yoruba, Ibibio and Igbo.

The facilitators cut across academic and media organisations including Nsikak Idiong, a professor of journalism, political communication and media studies from the University of Uyo.

Participants speak

Kingsley Alozie, a freelance journalist, expressed delight in participating in the programme to scrutinise electoral reportage.

Theresa Donatus, a journalist with the Daily Times, noted that her reporting will help citizens make informed choices about their civic duties.

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“One of my key takeaways is that effective electoral communication goes beyond sharing information; it requires accuracy, context, inclusiveness, and responsibility,” Ms Donatus said.

Also, Ezinne Alozie, a broadcast journalist with Darling FM, said language is a “universal currency and a form of identity.”

She said it is important that when information is passed through any means, it is thoughly factchecked.