Nigerians fear AI election misinfo but rely on WhatsApp for news

SB Morgen Intelligence surveyed 829 Nigerians across eight states between April and May 2026, finding that 52.1% rely on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X and TikTok as their main source of political news, with WhatsApp used by 95.1% of internet users. Despite widespread fear that AI-generated deepfakes and edited images will fuel political misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections, 12% of respondents admit they do not verify political information before sharing or acting on it, while 53.3% cross-check with other sources and 20.9% search online for confirmation. The report highlights a 'Southeast Paradox': the Southeast region shows the lowest concern about AI misinformation at 38.9%, yet 42.7% of its residents share or act on political content without verification, creating an almost uninterrupted pipeline for falsehoods on encrypted platforms. Although INEC established an internal unit in May 2025 to examine AI's role in elections, no major programmes have launched six months before the polls, leaving a narrowing window for regulators and tech firms to agree on detection and labelling of synthetic content. The study warns that as generative AI adds support for Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin and minority languages, fact-checking efforts—still largely English-based—must be scaled with AI detection tools to protect the electoral process.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/07/02/nigeria-heads-into-2027-election-worried-about-ai/