As Nigeria gears up for its general elections on the 25th of February, TikTok, in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has launched product features that support its long-term vision to help Nigerians and other global users access factual and authoritative information about the Nigerian general elections.
It teamed up with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Africa Check on the project. According to the platform, the efforts are part of TikTok’s commitment to curb election misinformation and ensure that election news is disseminated responsibly by its community.
Commenting on their contribution to the election hub, Ayodele Aluko, Director of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC said, “Part of INEC’s commitment in the Electoral process is to engage young people who constitute a larger part of the voting population. This collaboration with TikTok to create an election Hub where Nigerians can access credible information will help mitigate some of the greatest threats to credible elections. We strongly believe that this initiative will assist to counter misinformation, disinformation and fake news”.
TikTok said it believes collaboration with various stakeholders to help strengthen its efforts to protect against harm and misuse on its platform, which is why the entertainment platform works with an array of experts and organisations to help promote safety on TikTok.
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Throughout 2022, TikTok engaged closely with NGOs, government, media, corporate organisations, civil societies, educational institutions and other role-players that form part of the TikTok community in Nigeria.
“We are continuously engaging with diverse stakeholders in Nigeria to discuss opportunities to mitigate the misuse of online platforms such as TikTok in a fast-paced digital world. Our resolve is to spread positivity in markets where we operate as we promote safety online,” said Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, TikTok Sus-Saharan Africa.
“As part of the initiative to foster a safe community during this period, TikTok is committed to providing access to trustworthy and relevant information for our community through voter education resources in-app provided by the NOA.”
Commenting on these combined efforts, Director General National Orientation Agency Dr Garba Abari said, “The exponential growth of the use of online platforms has led to tremendous business opportunities for influencers, brands and organisations. However, this growth has also led to challenges like fake news, hate speech, misinformation and disinformation etc. If these challenges are left unchecked, it poses a threat to the credibility of the elections and our national security and development. It is, therefore, imperative that all safety measures are put in place to protect users at this crucial time in our Nation’s history, which is why The National Orientation Agency is partnering with TikTok to promote a safe and factual space for each and every Nigerian online”.
In Nigeria and beyond, the TikTok community is encouraged to be a part of the campaign by reporting harmful content that appears untrue and fuels any political intolerance in any way. TikTok is a platform that encourages authentic and entertaining content that inspires creativity and brings joy. TikTok will provide notices on many election-related hashtag pages to remind people to follow the community guidelines, verify facts, and report content they believe may violate the platform’s content policies.
