ECOWAS COMMISSION CONVENES REGIONAL WORKSHOP TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION ON PEACE AND SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA
11 Jun, 2026The ECOWAS Commission through its directorate of peace keeping and regional security, in collaboration with its Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs), Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS) and National Defence College (NDC), Abuja hold a two-day methodology workshop on the regional study titled “The impact of misinformation and disinformation on peace and security in West Africa” in Abuja, Nigeria from the 10th to 11th of June, 2026.
Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, Commandant of the National Defence College Nigeria, commended ECOWAS for its strategic foresight in pairing knowledge generation with policy formulation. Rear Admiral Ahmed noted that the modern security landscape has shifted, turning the information domain into an active battlefield where false narratives manipulate public opinion and inflame vulnerabilities. As the Lead Institution for this study under a rotational research framework, the NDC is responsible for coordinating the overall research process, harmonizing efforts among participating entities, and overseeing the final regional report. He noted that this effort follows previous successful regional studies, specifically: The pioneering study on the Farmer-Herder Conflict led by the National Defence College Nigeria and the study on Demographic Changes and Regional Security led by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
Mr Ovie Faith, representative of the German embassy in Abuja, delivered a good will message highlighting that West Africa’s security landscape has fundamentally shifted into a digital information domain, where traditional threats like terrorism now converge with advanced, AI-driven information warfare capable of rapidly manipulating public perception and exploiting social vulnerabilities. Consequently, this methodology workshop serves as a vital foundation for moving beyond mere assumptions toward an evidence-based, shared regional framework capable of producing actionable strategies to counter information disorder.
In opening the workshop Dr. Danjuma Aku, Head of mission support of the directorate of Peace keeping and Regional Security, delivered the opening speech on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah. His address emphasized that the workshop represents a significant milestone for this third collaborative regional research effort, which was originally conceptualized in Accra in 2023 to shape a structured response to information threats. This initiative directly builds upon a long-standing collaboration between the ECOWAS Commission and its Training Centres of Excellence, a partnership reinforced by a revised 2016 Memorandum of Understanding. He underscored that combating misinformation and disinformation is not merely about countering false narratives, but about strengthening regional trust, transparency, and reinforcing accountability and good governance as foundations for sustainable peace.
Over the course of the two-day event, distinguished scholars, national focal points, and technical experts will deliberate on key parameters including conceptual alignment, methodological harmonization, validation of research instruments, digital research tools, data protection and quality assurance. The final empirical evidence gathered from this study will be used to identify emerging trends and deliver actionable, practical recommendations to reinforce security mechanisms and regional resilience across West Africa.
