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At least 15 Nigerian media outlets joined forces on Wednesday to combat the misinformation that predates the February elections as part of a first collaboration, as the country's main political parties exchange accusations of fabricating and printing. 39; exaggeration.
The CrossCheck Nigeria project aims to bring normally competing newsrooms to work together to investigate and refute false statements, especially on social media.
Completed investigations will be on a central platform only when at least five partners have approved the work, with the aim of improving public understanding and trust.
Nigerians go to the polls on February 16 to elect a new president and a new parliament, while the elections for governor and state badembly are held two weeks later.
75-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking a second four-year term, but former Vice President Atiku Abubakar faces a daunting challenge.
The race should be tight given his dissatisfaction with Buhari and his record for improving national security and the economy, as well as fighting corruption.
Its ruling party, the Progressive Congress (APC), has been accused of plagiarizing its slogan and "Next Level" design for the re-election campaign.
The Democratic People 's Party of Abubakar (PDP) has been criticized for using pictures of dead African Union soldiers dead for Nigerian soldiers killed in a recent Boko Haram attack.
CrossCheck Nigeria is home to around 50 local print, broadcast and online media reporters, as well as AFP, supported by academic partners from the University of Lagos.
The public will be able to give advice via WhatsApp. Cross-referenced applications will appear on www.crosschecknigeria.org.
The International Inquiry Center (ICIR), based in Abuja, will coordinate the project, which follows similar initiatives in Brazil and France.
ICIR's executive director, Dayo Aiyetan, said that Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp had become "ways for politicians to spread misinformation, rumors, lies and misinformation".
"The media has the responsibility to check the information on social media to make sure it is true," he added.
Aiyetan later criticized US President Donald Trump for his repeated attacks on the media and his allegations of "false information" that generated public suspicion of the media.
But he said at a press conference: "In the United States, there is only one president, Trump.The problem in Nigeria is that false news, misinformation, are ubiquitous.
"There are a million badets in Nigeria that can do damage with information containing weapons.
One of the most prevalent rumors circulating on the internet is that Buhari, who has spent months being treated in London in 2017 for an unspecified illness, has died.
Proponents of pro-Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu in southeastern Nigeria said Buhari, a former military leader, had been replaced by a Sudanese look-alike.
The people involved in the CrossCheck Nigeria initiative said that given the avalanche of false information, journalists had to work together, using the same technology to fight it.
"This is not the moment of competition," said Martins Oloja, editor of The Guardian newspaper in Nigeria.
First Draft, a UK-based non-profit organization that aims to combat misinformation around the world, provides the technology and research skills needed for the project.
Jenni Sargent, CEO of First Draft, said the Nigerian project and other similar projects were designed to help the public make informed policy choices.
"This transparency is essential to maintain trust and credibility in this era of misinformation," she added.
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