Boluwatife Adedokun
The BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) has inaugurated The Verifiers, a group of fact-checkers trained to combat misinformation and promote media integrity across Southwest Nigeria.
The inauguration, held in Osogbo on March 20, 2025, marked the conclusion of a three-month intensive training program that equipped journalists, human rights defenders, and disability rights advocates with advanced fact-checking techniques, digital verification tools, and ethical reporting practices.
The initiative was supported by WITNESS, a global organization that helps people use video and technology for human rights advocacy.
Speaking at the event, Blessing Oladunjoye, Executive Director of BOFIM, emphasized the critical role of fact-checking in safeguarding democracy and protecting marginalized communities from the effects of misinformation.
“This is more than just a training program, it is a community of truth defenders committed to upholding ethical journalism and ensuring that misinformation does not silence marginalized voices, including persons with disabilities,” she said.
The training sessions covered topics such as Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), digital verification methods, and ethical fact-checking practices. Participants were tasked with:
Verifying news and claims using OSINT tools! Identifying and debunking deepfakes and manipulated content.
Promoting media literacy to help the public recognize misinformation.
Ensuring ethical journalism that fairly represents all communities.
At the event, Israel Olatunji Tijani, Data Scientist and Founder of ChatVE, demonstrated AI-powered fact-checking tools and methods for spotting deepfakes.
He explained how ChatVE, an automated chatbot, enhances real-time verification by detecting manipulated content and assigning unique digital fingerprints to debunked claims, preventing them from resurfacing online.
Additionally, John Eromosele, a Data Protection Expert, provided insights on data security and the use of verification tools like Yandex, TinEye, and reverse image search to assess the authenticity of digital content.
BOFIM’s Program Officer, Peace Odekunle, urged participants to act as ambassadors of truth, applying their skills to counter misinformation and contribute to a more informed and ethical media landscape.
Each participant is expected to publish at least two verifications before April 10, 2025, with an ongoing commitment to fact-checking beyond the program.
The Verifiers initiative is part of BOFIM’s broader mission to promote advocacy, inclusivity, and accountability in media reporting. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining this network of trained fact-checkers as a long-term movement against misinformation in Nigeria.
