On October 10, 2025, Penplusbytes, in partnership with the Sahel Institute and with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), convened government officials, civil society actors, journalists, and opinion leaders in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to discuss strategies for strengthening democratic resilience in West Africa. 🇨🇮

This regional meeting, held under the theme “Strengthening Democratic Resilience in West Africa,” presented key findings from the Disinformation Index Report (DIR) — a multi-country study covering Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

In this 10-minute highlight video, Penplusbytes Executive Director Jerry Sam and Research Team Member Rebecca Avusu share insights on how disinformation shapes political discourse, threatens civic space, and challenges electoral integrity across the region. The presentation is delivered in English, with French interpretation for participants.

Mr. Sam emphasized the growing role of disinformation as a social and political weapon, calling for greater collaboration, civic education, and pre-bunking to equip citizens against manipulation.

Participants from across sectors reflected on the importance of media and information literacy (MIL), fact-checking, and cross-border cooperation to safeguard democracy and public trust.

By uniting voices from across West Africa, this convening reaffirmed a collective commitment to counter disinformation and defend the integrity of democratic processes in the digital age.

📘 Learn more and download the Abridged Disinformation Index Report (English):
👉 https://penplusbytes.org/publications/disinformation-index-report-for-west-africa-2025-abridged-version/

Français (résumé court):
Penplusbytes a organisé, à Abidjan, une réunion régionale pour présenter les résultats de son Indice de Désinformation et renforcer la résilience démocratique en Afrique de l’Ouest.
Les échanges ont porté sur les défis liés à la manipulation de l’information, la participation citoyenne et la collaboration régionale pour défendre la démocratie.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Opening remarks by Penplusbytes Executive Director
01:15 – Understanding disinformation in West Africa
03:10 – Côte d’Ivoire’s disinformation resilience score
05:40 – Stakeholder reactions and recommendations
09:10 – Closing remarks

👉 Subscribe to the Penplusbytes YouTube channel for more insights on media literacy, democracy, and digital governance in Africa.
🔔 Like, share, and comment to join the conversation on combating disinformation across the region.

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