Securing West Africa’s Future in the Age of Information Disorder
By Mohammed Dahiru Lawal
As our aircraft touched down and taxied across the tarmac of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, my thoughts drifted beyond the immediacy of arrival to the uncertain trajectory of regional integration in West Africa. I found myself reflecting on competing narratives, digital threats, foreign influence, state fragility, and the vast — yet double-edged — potential of emerging technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence. In that moment, Lagos felt less like a city and more like a metaphor: a vibrant testing ground for what West Africa could become — or fail to become — in the digital age.
Two months earlier, I had received a special invitation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to participate in a high-level, multi-stakeholder thematic dialogue on ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the region’s digital future. We were told that the outcomes would be presented to the Authority of Heads of State and Government at a Summit on the Future of West Africa. For an institution often criticised as slow or reactive, this initiative felt different — urgent, deliberate, and long overdue.
As an Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and fact-checking specialist who has tracked digital propaganda in conflict zones and documented coordinated disinformation campaigns across Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and beyond, I immediately understood the stakes. Information manipulation today accelerates distrust, weakens state legitimacy, and in fragile contexts, directly fuels violence. Having previously received the Kwame Karikari Award for Best OSINT Journalist in Anglophone West Africa from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), I recognised that this invitation was not symbolic. It signaled a growing awareness that West Africa’s information ecosystem is now inseparable from its governance and security architecture.
Driving through the ever-busy Ikeja corridor, Lagos unfolded in familiar fashion — chaotic, energetic, unforgiving, yet full of promise. As Africa’s most economically dynamic city, Lagos carries not just the weight of people and processes but also the burden of outcomes. What would be discussed here over three days could shape policies and determine whether ECOWAS remains relevant and resilient over the next half-century.
Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Founding Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), described the gathering as a convergence of “the best brains in these sectors in West Africa.” The room validated his claim. From Abdoulie Gassama of Gambia Radio and Television Services, Mary Okpe of CDD-West Africa, Egghead Odewale of the Amandla Institute, Poncelet O. Ileleji of Jokkolabs Banjul, to Dr. Kojo Impraim of the Media Foundation for West Africa, the dialogue was rich with regional expertise and credibility.
Yet one truth dominated discussions: digital transformation cannot be meaningfully addressed without confronting information disorder. OSINT-backed analysis consistently shows that West Africa does not control its narrative space. Editorial judgement is increasingly subordinated to algorithmic judgement, where engagement metrics override public interest. The cost of influence has dropped drastically, enabling both local and foreign actors to shape public discourse at scale. Foreign state-backed media — often operating in local languages — set agendas and frame realities, influencing not only what audiences think about but how they think.
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This makes information disorder not merely a media problem but a governance and security threat. AI tools are now being used for narrative amplification, micro-targeted influence operations, and sophisticated deepfakes. Weak platform regulation, poor enforcement of data protection laws, and limited forensic capacity create fertile ground for hostile actors. Falsehoods travel faster than institutions can respond, eroding trust in elections, health systems, and counterterrorism efforts.
Foreign media influence, to be clear, is not inherently negative. Outlets like the BBC, VOA, DW, France 24, TRT World, CGTN, Sputnik, and Al Jazeera operate within legitimate ecosystems. But they are state-funded and aligned with national interests. OSINT analysis reveals a troubling asymmetry: while external actors project coherent, well-resourced narratives, ECOWAS’ storytelling remains fragmented and reactive.
Against this backdrop, the Lagos dialogue, held January 20–22, 2026, took on historic significance. Participants worked to define a unified digital roadmap under Vision 2050, culminating in a landmark Communiqué committing the region to a digitally integrated, peaceful, and prosperous future. It recognised AI’s transformative potential in health, agriculture, and education, while candidly acknowledging risks such as algorithmic bias, labour displacement, and the weaponisation of AI for information disorder.
“Technology must be harnessed for development and transparency, not for domination or exclusion,” the Communiqué stated — a powerful call for West Africa to become a co-creator, not merely a consumer, of technology.
The dialogue rightly classified information disorder as a regional security issue. I emphasised the need for an ECOWAS framework to monitor and counter foreign information operations using OSINT networks, fact-checkers, and ethical journalism institutions. Others proposed strengthening ECOWAS Radio into a multilingual public-interest broadcaster and investing in digital forensic and attribution capacity.
Beyond technology, institutional strength emerged as critical. A digitally sovereign West Africa cannot be built on weak coordination or chronic underfunding. Member states must meet financial commitments to ECOWAS — not as bureaucratic routine, but as foundational investment in collective security.
Closing the dialogue, Hon. Abdou Kolley, on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission President, captured the urgency: the transition to a future-ready West Africa is no longer optional. The Lagos consultations would inform real commitments grounded in citizen voices and modern tools.
The Lagos Dialogue offered rare clarity. It affirmed that the battle for West Africa’s future will be fought not only on physical borders, but in the information space — where narratives shape legitimacy, trust, and peace. That ECOWAS is finally stepping forward is encouraging. Whether this momentum is sustained will determine whether West Africa can tell its own story on the global stage — or remain defined by others.
As I packed my bags and said goodbye to Eko, I carried that thought with me.
Mohammed Dahiru Lawal is a multi-award-winning fact-checking journalist and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) specialist. He is Head of Special Projects at PRNigeria and Project Manager at DAILY NIGERIAN. [email protected]
