BOFIM Inaugurates Trained Fact-Checkers to Combat Misinformation
The BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) has inaugurated a group of fact-checkers on March 20, 2025, after a three-month intensive training program.
The training equipped journalists with advanced fact-checking techniques, digital verification tools, and ethical reporting practices to combat misinformation effectively.
The event, held in Osogbo and supported by Witness, featured sessions facilitated by experts from diverse fields.
Israel Olatunji Tijani, the founder of ChatVE, urged participants to approach fact-checking with precision and diligence.
He demonstrated how to detect deep fakes and discussed the significance of ChatVE—an automated virtual assistant chatbot designed to bridge gaps between phone calls, emails, messaging, and bookings while enabling real-time fact-checking and client engagement.
Tijani highlighted that ChatVE accelerates response times for validating or debunking critical events, leveraging a hybrid of AI and certified fact-checkers to verify claims at the speed of social media.
He explained that the solution assigns unique digital fingerprints to debunked claims, preventing them from resurfacing online.
Additionally, he described the deployment of conversational AI chatbots powered by natural language processing to enhance automated customer service.
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John Eromosele, a Data Protection Expert, provided practical insights into data protection and essential IT skills for fact-checkers.
He demonstrated how to use verification tools such as Yandex, TinEye, and reverse image search to assess the authenticity of digital content.
Speaking at the event, Publisher of BO News, Blessing Oladunjoye, emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to safeguard journalism.
She described The Verifiers initiative as a community-driven project aimed at promoting advocacy, inclusivity, and the voice of marginalized communities.
Oladunjoye noted that misinformation and disinformation have profound consequences, particularly in a society where marginalized voices, including persons with disabilities, are often misrepresented.
“This is why The Verifiers is more than just a training program—it is a community that will safeguard truth and ensure that our media landscape upholds the highest ethical standards.
“Through this initiative, we are building a community of journalists, fact-checkers, and human rights defenders who will lead the charge in using OSINT tools, digital verification techniques, and ethical fact-checking methods to protect the public from the dangers of false information,” she added.
She encouraged participants to remain dedicated to the mission of establishing a fact-checking network in Southwest Nigeria.
BOFIM’s Program Officer, Peace Odekunle, also charged participants to act as ambassadors of the program, contributing to the fight against information disorder in society.
Through The Verifiers, BOFIM and its expert trainers have empowered journalists to fight misinformation with robust tools and uphold ethical standards, ensuring their work informs rather than misleads the public.
The inauguration marked the successful conclusion of four biweekly training sessions under The Verifiers initiative, which aimed to equip journalists with skills to combat misinformation and maintain ethical reporting standards.
