As Ghana prepares for its 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, a coalition of civil society organisations, known as the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition, has launched a major initiative to tackle misinformation and disinformation threatening the country’s democratic integrity.

Led by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Dubawa, FactSpace West Africa, and other advocates for information integrity, the coalition aims to curb misleading narratives and protect Ghana’s peace and stability.

This collaborative effort comes in response to the 2024 Global Risk Report, which highlights misinformation as a significant threat to democratic processes worldwide, particularly during elections. The report warns that unchecked misinformation can erode the legitimacy of newly elected governments and fuel political unrest, potentially destabilising democratic institutions in the long term.

The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition, comprising Ghana’s primary fact-checking organisations—Fact-Check Ghana (MFWA), Dubawa Ghana, and Ghana Fact (FactSpace West Africa)—has garnered support from respected groups like Africa Check, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Penplusbyte, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), and the Digital Africa Research Lab.

The coalition’s mission is to harness the combined strength and resources of these organisations to provide timely, evidence-based fact-checking throughout the election season.

From 4 to 11 December 2024, the Coalition will run dedicated Media Situation Rooms in Accra and Tamale. These situation rooms will serve as hubs for monitoring and swiftly debunking harmful narratives, both online and offline.

This vital initiative involves collaboration with over 100 media houses and nearly 50 journalists across Ghana, who will assist in verifying and disseminating fact-checked reports to communities nationwide. The reports will be accessible in approximately 45 local languages to ensure they reach diverse audiences.

Kwaku Krobea Asante, Lead Fact-Checker and Senior Programme Officer at MFWA, remarked on the importance of this coalition, stating, “We are excited to kick off this coalition after many months of discussions. This is the best time for us to come together and collaborate to push back against misinformation and polarising narratives that portend danger for Ghana’s democracy. We are hoping our collective work can contribute to a peaceful and credible election.”

The coalition has secured funding from the US Embassy in Ghana and the Google News Initiative. Additionally, the UK-based Full Fact organisation has offered access to its advanced Full Fact AI platform, which will enable coalition members to efficiently monitor and counteract disinformation campaigns.

Rabiu Alhassan, Director of FactSpace West Africa, emphasised the importance of unity, saying, “Creating a united front among fact-checkers, the media, and civil society groups is one of the best ways to counter the threats from disinformation purveyors who seek to disrupt Ghana’s elections.”

Roselena Ahiable, Programme Manager of Dubawa, shared her enthusiasm: “Having participated in similar coalitions across West Africa, we are very delighted to have come together for this initiative. We look forward to positively impacting the upcoming elections.”

With misinformation recognised as a formidable risk to democracy, Ghana’s new Fact-Checking Coalition seeks to safeguard the accuracy of information circulating in the lead-up to the 2024 elections, fostering transparency and trust among voters and helping to maintain peace in Ghana’s democratic process.