The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) will convene the CJID Ghana Media Summit on Thursday, 9 July 2026, in Accra, bringing together journalists, policymakers, civil society leaders, academics, and regional institutions to examine the growing impact of disinformation on democratic governance across West Africa.
Themed “Defending Democracy in West Africa; The Role of Media,” the Summit marks seven years of CJID’s work in Ghana through DUBAWA Ghana, its flagship fact-checking initiative, which has become one of the region’s leading platforms for verification, media literacy, and information integrity.
Since its launch in Accra in 2020, DUBAWA Ghana has contributed to strengthening the information ecosystem in Ghana through election-related fact-checking partnerships with CODEO, journalist capacity-building across the country, and collaborative election integrity initiatives under the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition.
Its work has been recognised across Ghana’s media and civic landscape as part of broader efforts to improve public access to credible information and strengthen democratic accountability.
Ahead of the Summit, CJID will convene its flagship Regional OSINT Workshop, bringing together 15 journalists from across West Africa for an intensive training on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and digital investigations.
The workshop will strengthen participants’ capacity to verify online content, investigate coordinated influence operations, and deploy advanced investigative techniques to respond to the growing challenges posed by synthetic media, AI-generated content, and cross-border disinformation campaigns.
The day-long Summit will open with remarks from Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, a member of the CJID Board, followed by a keynote address from George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of Ghana’s National Media Commission (NMC), and a special address from the Minister of State for Government Communications.
The programme will also feature goodwill messages from representatives of diplomatic missions, ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, and regional development partners, alongside the premiere of a documentary chronicling DUBAWA Ghana’s seven-year journey.
The centrepiece of the Summit will be a high-level panel discussion, “Defending Democracy in the Age of Disinformation: Strategic Priorities for Media Development in Ghana and West Africa,” featuring leading voices from journalism, academia, media development, press freedom advocacy, and regional policy institutions.
Speaking ahead of the Summit, Akintunde Babatunde, executive director of CJID, said: “The quality of our democracies will increasingly depend on the quality of our information ecosystems. As synthetic media, artificial intelligence, and coordinated influence operations become more sophisticated, defending democracy requires institutions that can produce credible information, journalists equipped with advanced investigative skills, and stronger regional collaboration. This Summit provides an opportunity to move beyond diagnosing the problem and to identify practical, collective responses that strengthen information integrity across West Africa.”
CJID is inviting media organisations, civil society groups, policymakers, researchers, development partners, and democratic institutions from across West Africa to participate in the Summit.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a pan-African media development organisation operating across 13 countries. CJID established DUBAWA, West Africa’s IFCN-verified fact-checking platform, and works to strengthen media integrity, combat information disorder, promote digital resilience, and advance democratic accountability across the continent.
