📋 Tender Overview
PROJECT ID
110481
TOTAL FUNDING
CAD 740,000.00
IDRC OFFICER
Sidney Leclercq
PROJECT STATUS
Active
DURATION
30 months
Summary
The proliferation of disinformation, which has a global reach, poses a growing challenge to societies worldwide, disrupting social cohesion, fostering political polarization and undermining democratic institutions. In West and Central Africa, where varied linguistic, social and political landscapes intersect, the effects of misinformation are multiplied. Confirmation bias, echo chambers and manipulation of public opinion all weaken trust in governance and electoral systems.
This project will seek to address these challenges by investigating how disinformation spreads and assessing its impacts on public trust and democracy. It will combine both qualitative and quantitative research methods — discourse analysis, interviews, social media monitoring and message characteristic analysis — across Anglophone and Francophone regions. The project will compare the influence of governance structures, language and demographic factors on the dissemination and reception of false information, providing a comprehensive picture of the issue across the region.
The project will also seek to build the capacity of key actors — journalists, civil society, lawmakers and government officials — through tailored training programs. These initiatives will equip them with the tools needed to recognize, counter and mitigate the harms caused by disinformation. The ultimate goal is to foster resilience within communities and institutions, ensuring they can respond effectively to the evolving landscape of information disorder. Expected outcomes include the development of a deeper understanding of the spread of disinformation, the creation of regionally specific counter-disinformation strategies and the promotion of informed public discourse that supports democratic resilience.
