Organised by Gambia Participates, the initiative aims to equip participants with practical skills in fact‑checking, countering misinformation and disinformation, and encouraging peaceful democratic participation through digital platforms.
Speaking at the launch, Executive Director of Gambia Participates, Marr Nyang, underscored the collective responsibility of citizens in ensuring credible elections.
“Ensuring that we have a free and fair election is a collective responsibility, not just for politicians, not just for youth leaders, not just for civil society organisations, but for citizens, for influencers like you,” Nyang declared.
He urged participants to use their platforms responsibly, warning against the dangers of spreading false information, hate speech and unverified election results. Nyang further cautioned against accepting payments to disseminate misleading political content, stressing the importance of transparency and disclosure in sponsored posts.
Participant Fatima Kebbeh welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen her understanding of electoral laws and the responsibilities of online content creators.
“I expect us to have a broader understanding of all of those things to ensure that we don’t say anything that is going to do more harm than good,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ismaila Fadera, President of the University of The Gambia Students’ Union, emphasised the importance of verification in digital engagement.
“As influencers, we should be able to engage in a positive way. Let’s keep verifying information because it is very important,” Fadera noted.
