FactSpace West Africa

FactSpace West Africa is a Ghana-based nonprofit social enterprise focused on independent fact-checking and the broader protection of information integrity in West Africa. Its work addresses false and misleading narratives, coordinated or manipulative information activity, and the wider conditions that allow misinformation and disinformation to spread. Rather than limiting its role to publishing individual fact-checks, the organisation combines verification, research, public education, journalist training, and digital innovation. The organisation was launched in 2019 by Ghanaian journalist Rabiu Alhassan. From Ghana, it developed a regional remit covering five West African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. Its activities include examining claims circulating in news and social-media environments, investigating information ecosystems and the actors involved in information disorder, and producing explanatory material intended to help audiences distinguish reliable information from false or manipulated content. FactSpace West Africa also treats media and information literacy as an important part of its mission. It works with journalists and members of the public through training and educational initiatives designed to improve verification skills, source assessment, and resistance to misleading narratives. The organisation has additionally pursued digital tools and collaborative approaches intended to identify or slow the spread of false information. On 2 April 2020, FactSpace West Africa became a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network Code of Principles. This commitment places its work within an international framework concerned with non-partisanship, transparency of sources and funding, methodological clarity, and accountability in fact-checking. The organisation has collaborated with a range of international, regional, and media-focused partners, including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF, Meta, Meedan, ECOWAS, USAID, Africa Check, the Google News Initiative, DW Akademie, Fact-Check Ghana, and the IFCN. During Ghana's 2024 elections, FactSpace West Africa worked with Fact-Check Ghana, Dubawa, and other organisations through a Ghana fact-checking coalition. The coalition was established to respond to election-related misinformation and help audiences access verified information during a period in which political claims and misleading content can circulate rapidly. FactSpace West Africa's overall positioning is therefore regional and public-interest oriented: it operates as a fact-checking and information-resilience organisation rather than as a conventional commercial media brand.

FactSpace West Africa was launched in Ghana in 2019 by journalist Rabiu Alhassan as a nonprofit social enterprise addressing misinformation, disinformation, and related threats to public information environments. Its creation reflected the growing need for locally grounded verification work in West Africa, where political, health, and social claims can spread quickly through online platforms, broadcast media, and interpersonal networks. The organisation's model extends beyond the publication of isolated fact-checks. It verifies claims and counters false narratives, studies the information ecosystems in which misleading content circulates, and examines the actors and dynamics associated with information disorder. It also conducts media and information literacy activities for journalists and the public, helping participants develop practical skills for evaluating sources, recognising manipulation, and checking claims. In addition, FactSpace West Africa has pursued digital tools intended to support the identification and containment of false information. The organisation expanded its work across the subregion and has led or supported fact-checking initiatives in Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. Its regional scope is reflected in its partnerships with public-interest, media, technology, and international organisations. These partners have included the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF, Meta, Meedan, ECOWAS, USAID, Africa Check, the Google News Initiative, DW Akademie, Fact-Check Ghana, and the International Fact-Checking Network. A significant institutional milestone occurred on 2 April 2020, when FactSpace West Africa became a signatory to the IFCN Code of Principles. The code provides a professional and ethical framework for fact-checking organisations, with emphasis on non-partisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of methodology, transparency of funding and organisation, and an open corrections policy. The commitment helped place FactSpace West Africa within the wider international fact-checking community. The organisation's collaborative role became particularly visible during Ghana's 2024 elections. FactSpace West Africa worked with Fact-Check Ghana, Dubawa, and other organisations to form a Ghana fact-checking coalition. The initiative sought to counter election-related misinformation through coordinated verification and public communication. This work illustrates the organisation's broader strategy: combine independent editorial checking with partnerships, training, and information-resilience measures so that audiences and institutions are better equipped to respond to false or misleading narratives.

• 2024

  Participated in Ghana's election fact-checking coalition

  [1]FactSpace West Africaen.wikipedia.org

  FactSpace West Africa collaborated with Fact-Check Ghana, Dubawa, and other organisations to create a coalition addressing misinformation during Ghana's elections.

• 2020

  Joined the IFCN Code of Principles

  [1]FactSpace West Africaen.wikipedia.org

  On 2 April 2020, FactSpace West Africa became a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network Code of Principles.

• 2019

  FactSpace West Africa launched

  [1]FactSpace West Africaen.wikipedia.org

  Ghanaian journalist Rabiu Alhassan launched FactSpace West Africa as a nonprofit social enterprise focused on fact-checking and information integrity.

Independent fact-checking and information-integrity organisation serving Ghana and the wider West African region.

• Editorial verification

  Fact-checking articles

  Published verification work that examines public claims and misleading narratives, presents evidence, and helps audiences assess whether information is accurate, false, or lacking important context.

• Research

  Disinformation research and mapping

  Research activities focused on information ecosystems, the spread of information disorder, and the actors or mechanisms involved in producing and distributing misleading content across the region.

• Training

  Media and information literacy training

  Educational programmes for journalists and the public that build practical capabilities in source evaluation, claim verification, misinformation recognition, and responsible information sharing.

• Digital tools

  Digital information-integrity tools

  Digital approaches and tools intended to help identify, investigate, or reduce the circulation of false information and support more resilient information environments.

• 2024Ghana fact-checking coalition

  Ghana

  FactSpace West Africa joined Fact-Check Ghana, Dubawa, and other organisations in a collaborative coalition created to respond to misinformation during Ghana's 2024 elections.

  Outcome. The coalition provided a coordinated fact-checking and public-information response to election-related misinformation. The available reference material does not quantify its output or impact.

  Source

1. 1FactSpace West Africaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2FactSpace West Africa official websiteghanafact.com