FactSpace West Africa

FactSpace West Africa
Company typeNon-profit organization
IndustryJournalism
Founded2019 (2019)
HeadquartersGhana,
Accra
,
The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Number of locations
5 countries
Area served
West Africa
Key people
  • Rabiu Alhassan (Managing Editor/Director)
ServicesFact checking
Websitefactspace.org

FactSpace West Africa is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to independent fact-checking, disinformation mapping, and promoting information integrity in West Africa.[1] They are a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Code of Principles which regulates how they work.[2][3]

History

FactSpace West Africa was launched in 2019 by Ghanaian journalist Rabiu Alhassan, the organisation is currently leading fact-checking initiatives in five countries in the subregion, including Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.[4]

FactSpace West Africa combats the weaponisation of misinformation and disinformation by:

  • Fact-checking to counter false narratives.
  • Researching information ecosystems and the actors behind information disorder.
  • Educating journalists and the public through media information literacy training.[5]
  • Developing digital tools to fight the spread of false information.

On 2 April 2020, FactSpace West Africa became a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Code of Principles.[6]

Partnerships

FactSpace West Africa has collaborated with organisations including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF,[7] Meta, Meedan, ECOWAS, USAID, Africa Check, the Google News Initiative, DW Akademie,[8] Fact-Check Ghana and the IFCN, among other international NGOs, to strengthen information resilience.[9]

Work

In 2024, during the Ghanaian elections, FactSpace West Africa in collaboration with Fact-Check Ghana, Dubawa and other organizations created the Ghana fact-checking coalition to combat misinformation.[10][11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ GNA (2024-03-04). "FactSpace West Africa holds capacity building workshop for media practitioners". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  2. ^ Sam, Stacey (2024-06-28). "Ghana to host 2024 Africa Facts Summit". Asaase Radio. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  3. ^ Amissah, Emmanuel Jacob (23 November 2024). "GhanaFact engages media personalities in Media Integrity and Fact-Checking workshop amid the December 7th elections". Ghana.web.com. Retrieved 11 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Salisu, Mustapha (2024-04-17). "FactSpace West Africa Equip Kano Journalists with Social Media Fact-Checking Tools". Prime Time News. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  5. ^ Etefe, Juliet (2022-11-28). "AW Free Foundation, FactSpace West Africa train Togolese journalists on fact-checking". The Business & Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  6. ^ GNA (2024-12-02). "FactSpace West Africa equips journalists with digital tools for fact-checking". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  7. ^ Majeed, Abdulai (2024-10-03). "UNICEF and FactSpace West Africa trains journalists on the basics of identifying health misinformation and disinformation". Diamond 93.7FM. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  8. ^ "Fact-checking as a social contract". Deutsche Welle. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  9. ^ Holan, Angie Drobnic (2024-12-05). "Africa's fact-checking community shows its growing strength in collaboration, investigations". Poynter. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  10. ^ Times, Ghanaian (2024-11-14). "NMC welcomes Ghana Fact-Check Coalition initiative". Ghanaian Times. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  11. ^ "Ghana's new fact-checking coalition gears up for election season - MyJoyOnline". Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  12. ^ "Election 2024: NMC welcomes formation of Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition". 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-11.