CDD, partners rally Benue stakeholders to combat misinformation, promote social cohesion

2026-03-16 - 04:27

By Peter Duru, Makurdi Stakeholders in Benue State have called for collective action to tackle misinformation, disinformation and hate speech as part of efforts to strengthen peace and social cohesion in the state. The call was made during a High-Level Dialogue and Roundtable Discussion on “Unpacking Divisive Narratives and Promoting Social Cohesion,” organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with Tetra Tech, with support from UK Aid and the SPRiNG Project. Speaking at the meeting, CDD Head of Programme and Team Lead, Mary Okpe, said the initiative was designed to promote information literacy and encourage inclusive participation in policy discussions aimed at building lasting peace. According to her, the dialogue brought together key stakeholders including civil society organisations, academics, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups to contribute to discussions that could shape future policy decisions. “The programme is about strengthening information literacy for the sake of building peace and social cohesion. We call today’s dialogue a high-level one because we are engaging stakeholders at the state level,” Okpe said. She explained that the project emphasises a bottom-up approach to policymaking, allowing community actors to contribute ideas that can later translate into effective policies. “The idea is to have these segments of persons contribute to discussions that would eventually lead to policy recommendations that are not top-down but bottom-up, so people can relate with them, connect with them and also implement them,” she added. Okpe further noted that the dialogue created an opportunity for participants who had previously met in smaller groups to come together and collectively discuss issues around information literacy and social cohesion. “At the end of this meeting we expect participants to return to their communities and spread the message. They should also have the capacity to verify information and avoid spreading rumours or falsehood. The whole idea is to institute a process that will bring about peace in Benue, irrespective of our different identities,” she said. Also speaking, Development Communication Practitioner and Consultant to CDD, Odoh Diego Okenyodo, described the programme as a strategic training aimed at equipping community leaders and information managers with the knowledge required to counter harmful narratives. “This is a training on countering misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. The idea is to equip information managers, academics, traditional and religious leaders with tools and understanding of how these issues can create tension in society,” he said. Okenyodo stressed that properly addressing misinformation could significantly reduce conflicts, particularly as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections. “As we head towards the elections in 2027, security issues need to be better managed to ensure we have hitch-free and peaceful elections. From what we heard today, participants seem to have understood the concepts and are already identifying ways to counter disinformation and hate speech in their communities,” he said. Participants were taken through interactive sessions and discussions designed to deepen their understanding of divisive narratives and strengthen strategies for promoting peace and responsible information sharing across communities.