Election
How Meta is preparing for Nigeria’s 2023 elections
7th December 2022, Lagos, Nigeria: Today, Meta has announced the steps it is taking to protect the integrity of the Nigeria elections taking place in 2023. This includes its efforts to combat the spread of misinformation and to make political advertising more transparent.
This work will continue in the lead up to, during, and after voting and builds on Meta’s experience and learnings from supporting elections across Sub-Saharan Africa and globally. Meta’s approach has also been informed by conversations with human rights groups, NGOs, local civil society organisations, regional experts and local election authorities – to help ensure the safety of people using Meta’s family of apps, customise election strategies for Nigeria, maintain the integrity of its platforms and keep users safe.
Commenting at the event, Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Adaora Ikenze said, “We know we have an important responsibility when it comes to helping keep people safe during the elections. Using lessons from the past including input from experts and policymakers across the national spectrum, we’ve made substantial investments in people and technology to reduce misinformation, remove harmful content on our platforms, fight voter interference and promote civic engagement during the elections. We continue to work closely with election authorities and local partners in Nigeria to ensure we’re preparing for the specific challenges in Nigeria and taking appropriate steps to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Some of the steps we are taking to prepare for the Nigerian elections include:
A dedicated cross functional team spread across the world as well as locally focused on the Nigerian elections. This includes a number of people from Nigeria and people who have spent significant amounts of time in the country, as we recognise that local understanding is critical. The team also includes individuals with global expertise in misinformation, hate speech, elections and disinformation. These teams are working hard to prevent any abuse of our services before, during and after Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. Locally, we also have staff who reside in Nigeria and work in the public policy, & public policy programmes and communications.
Keeping people safe. Since 2016 we have quadrupled the size of the global teams working on safety and security to about 40,000 people, and have invested more than $16 billion in teams and technology in this area. This also includes over 15,000 content reviewers, who are located across the globe, in every major timezone. Collectively, these reviewers are able to review content in more than 70 languages- including Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.
Outlining our Community Standards that publicly explain what is and isn’t allowed on our platforms to prioritise integrity on our platforms during and after elections.
Addressing virality. On WhatsApp bulk or automated messaging is a violation of our terms of service. If we find instances of people misusing the service we remove those accounts. We continue to constrain forwarding and earlier in 2022 we announced that any message that has been forwarded once, will now only be able to be forwarded to one group at a time, rather than five, which was the previous limit. When we introduced the same feature for highly forwarded messages, it reduced the number of these messages sent on WhatsApp by over 70%. We also label ‘forwarded’ and ‘highly forwarded’ messages to highlight when something has been shared multiple times. We’ve introduced forward limits to Messenger too, so messages can only be forwarded to five people or groups at a time.
Taking aggressive steps to fight the spread of misinformation on our services in Nigeria, because we know it’s important for people to see accurate information on Facebook and Instagram. We’re removing misinformation which could lead to imminent violence or physical harm and working with our fact-checking partners in Nigeria – AFP, Africa Check and Dubawa – to review and rate potentially false content on our platforms, label it, and place it lower in our feed, so fewer people see it. To further educate Nigerians on how to spot false news and the actions to take, we’re partnering with local radio stations to create ‘#NoFalseNews’ radio dramas in English and Pidgin, executing a WhatsApp awareness campaign #YouSaid in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Pidgin to educate users to verify information before sharing and running online ads on Facebook and radio in Yoruba, Pidgin, Hausa and Igbo to educate people on how to spot false information.
Made political ads more transparent in Nigeria: Anybody who wants to run political ads in Nigeria must go through a verification process to prove who they are and that they live in Nigeria. These ads are labelled with a disclaimer, so you can see who paid for them and stored them in our public Ads Library for seven years, so that everyone can see what ads are running, what types of people saw them and how much was spent. We also offer controls so that people in Nigeria can choose not to see any of these political ads which run with a disclaimer.
Promoting civic engagement: Helping to build informed and civically engaged communities is central to our work around elections. Our dedicated teams have engaged in training and conversations with civil society organisations, academia, political parties and government to inform them of our election integrity efforts.
Election
National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) Elects Comrade Kehinde Thomas, others as executive members
The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) has elected a new executive to lead the national body. The congress which brought in the new executive was held at the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) hall in Leme, Abeokuta on Saturday. The congress that ushered the new executive was peaceful and witnessed by former student leaders who cut across Ogun State.
Several Student Leaders (Senators) from various institutions in the state were present to cast their votes during the congress. The congress was declared open, and the election process began in earnest.
A total of three candidates emerged from the election process. At the end of the day, Comrade Kehinde Thomas was elected as the National President of NAOSS.
Comrade Thomas emerged victorious with 75 votes, while Ajayi Stephen Oluwafemi and James Ola Lawson had 51 and ten votes, respectively. One vote was considered void.
The newly elected executive of NAOSS is made up of vibrant and dynamic student leaders. Other elected officials included Comrade Femi Ajayi Castro as VP 1, and Comrade Ola Muse James as VP 2.
Others include Comrade TFK who became Welfare Director, Comrade Abiodun Olamilekan Opeyemi as PRO 1, and Comrade Abiodun Korede as Social Director. Comrade Folarin Isreal emerged as Treasurer, with Comrade Binta Akinsola as Clerk and Comrade Quadri Yussuf as the Chief Whip. Comrade Badrudeen Oluwasegun won the position of Sports Director amongst others.
The newly elected executive expressed profound gratitude to all those who participated in the election process. They assured NAOSS members of their commitment to the ideals and overall objectives of the association. Also, they promised to work hard to ensure that the voice of Ogun State students will be heard and respected.
The election process was hailed as a success, and the peaceful conduct demonstrated the credibility and maturity of the students. NAOSS members and stakeholders are optimistic that this new executive will bring in a new chapter of growth and development for the association.
The Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ogun State, after three years of internal strife, inaugurated its new executive members on Monday.
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Council’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, following an uncontested election.
The new Chairman, Juwon Opayemi, was sworn in alongside other executives, including Vice Chairman Jaji Olamilekan and Auditor Fatai Sobande.
In his inaugural address, the newly inaugurated Chairman Juwon Opayemi pledged to enhance unity within the chapel and ensure effective and equitable leadership.
In his inaugural address, the newly inaugurated Chairman Juwon Opayemi pledged to enhance unity within the chapel and ensure effective and equitable leadership.
He said: “My primary motivation and ambition to become Chairman-Federated Chapel, Ogun NUJ is my desire to bring renewed Hope and Faith of a better tomorrow and thereby putting smiles back on the faces of the members of the Federated Chapel.
“It is our great belief that leadership should entail compassion , humility, selflessness, persistence, commitment and dedication.
“Let me from onset assure you that as the Chairman of Federated Chapel Ogun NUJ, I and my Executive members will run an all-inclusive administration.
“We will maintain an open door policy which affords easy accessibility on issues and challenges as related to the welfare and progress of our esteemed members.
“It is now time to put all our endowed human and material resources together towards the progress and advancement of our Chapel. In the light of the above, I hereby present to you my programmes as the Chairman of the Federated Chapel.”
The NUJ Chairman, Ogun State Council, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, urged the new chairman to further foster unity in the chapel.
He said: “I want to congratulate the new executives of the Federated Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council.
“I urge you to further foster unity in the chapel and ensure that you work together to promote the interest of every member of the chapel.”
Election
Alliance of Frontline PR Professionals Endorses Nkechi Ali-Balogun for NIPR National President
[Nigeria, August 18, 2023] – A coalition of seasoned and respected Public Relations (PR) professionals representing a diverse spectrum of industries have come together to endorse Nkechi Ali-Balogun (NAB) as the quintessential candidate for the position of National President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
With a collective vision for the future of PR in Nigeria, this alliance firmly believes in Nkechi Ali-Balogun’s transformative leadership and her capacity to drive positive change within the industry, especially as the first woman in Nigeria in the running to lead the umbrella body for PR professionals in Nigeria. Having held the esteemed position of leading the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Nkechi has demonstrated her unwavering commitment to advancing the field.
The alliance, which comprises leaders who have shaped the PR landscape through innovation and excellence, recognizes Nkechi Ali-Balogun as a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the profession’s challenges and opportunities. Her track record of accomplishments, strategic insights, and commitment to raising the standards of PR has earned her the unwavering support of this influential coalition.
NAB is a multi-talented luminary within Africa’s PR industry, boasting a wealth of experience spanning more than two decades across diverse facets of the Public Relations and Training Consultancy landscape.
Commenting on behalf of the alliance, Odion Aleobua, the convener of the group, stated, “At this critical juncture in our industry’s development, we need a leader who not only understands the evolving dynamics of communication but is also dedicated to fostering collaboration, growth, and ethical standards in PR practice.”
Her profound understanding of client and service perspectives and adeptness at delivering innovative solutions to managerial challenges has solidified her reputation as a trusted expert. Nkechi’s journey has led her to the helm of NECCI Consulting, where she serves as the Principal Consultant and CEO.
“Nkechi Ali-Balogun’s demonstrated passion for PR, her emphasis on continuous learning, and her inclusive approach make her the ideal candidate to lead NIPR into a new era of excellence,” said Israel Jaiye Opayemi, President Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN).
The alliance emphasizes Nkechi Ali-Balogun’s ability to bridge the gap between traditional and digital PR practices, ensuring that the profession remains relevant and effective in an ever-changing media landscape. Her commitment to nurturing emerging talents and her dedication to creating a more connected PR community align seamlessly with the coalition’s values.
“Nkechi Ali-Balogun’s leadership is a testament to her ability to inspire, innovate, and steer PR professionals toward achieving impactful results,” Rasheed Bolarinwa, President of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks in Nigeria (ACAMB), said.
Also commenting, Tolulope Olorundero, Founder and Chairperson of Nigerian Women in Public Relations, stated that “NAB’s vision for NIPR resonates with our collective aspirations for a stronger, more influential PR industry.”
Guided by a transformative mindset, Nkechi excels in converting obstacles into avenues of growth, drawing from her own experiences to provide insights and strategies that resonate. Her creative intuition and strategic acumen set her apart, contributing to her triumphant trajectory as a mentor, motivational speaker, and catalyst for industry evolution.
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