Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Mr. Akeem Abas, has appealed to Google Africa to develop a fact-checking platform for journalists in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
Abas made the appeal in his opening remarks at a one-day training on AI Gemini organised by the Oyo NUJ Council, in collaboration with Google Africa for 100 journalists in the state.
He said the proposed fact-checking platform would enable journalists and members of the public to verify news reports and multimedia contents before dissemination, particularly during the election period.
According to the Oyo NUJ chairman, the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to generate misleading content poses a serious threat to credible information sharing and the integrity of the 2027 polls.
Abas explained that the platform, if developed, would help reveal the sources and authors of news reports and other digital materials, thereby promoting transparency and credibility in the media space.
He added that such an initiative would contribute significantly to peaceful, credible and hitch-free elections.
The training, which was the second in the series, was designed to equip media professionals across print and broadcast platforms with modern digital skills, improve newsroom productivity and enhance the practice of journalism in the state.
On his part, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the training as timely, considering the growing impact of emerging technologies on media practice.
The commissioner praised the Akeem Abass-led Oyo NUJ for narrowing its focus on AI training as a way of tackling the myriad of challenges facing journalism practitioners in an ever-changing and dynamic world.
“I agree entirely with Mr Akeem Abas that AI can only endanger the jobs of journalists who refuse to learn,” Oyelade said.
He urged journalists to seize the opportunity provided by the Google AI training, stressing that the initiative would help them stay relevant, sharpen their skills, and improve professional practice.
“The challenges of information gathering are growing by the day, and we cannot afford to be left behind,” he said.
Also speaking, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Oyo State, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju; Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Chief (Mrs) Dotun Olaitan; and a veteran journalist, Mrs. Bose Oyewole, commended the initiative.
They described the Google AI training as a valuable opportunity that would reposition journalism and prepare practitioners for future challenges in the profession.
