Nigeria’s digital revolution has reshaped its media and civic landscape, with over 122 million internet users as of 2023 and social media emerging as the dominant space for political discourse. But this shift has also opened the floodgates to disinformation, and with the 2027 general election approaching, the growing threat of deepfakes looms large over Nigeria’s fragile democracy.
Deepfakes—AI-generated audio and video content that mimic real people—are no longer science fiction. Once considered novel tech used in entertainment, they have now become potent tools for manipulating political narratives, spreading falsehoods, and inflaming ethnic tensions. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of tech experts believe deepfakes will be a major source of election misinformation worldwide. In Nigeria, where 62% of citizens get political news from social media, the danger is far greater.
The country’s low digital literacy, encrypted networks like WhatsApp, and a weak information ecosystem make it easier for false content to spread unchecked. WhatsApp, used by over 95% of Nigerian internet users, played a key role in the 2023 misinformation surge, overwhelming fact-checkers and inflaming electoral anxieties.
“A single deepfake showing a candidate calling for violence or insulting an ethnic group could spark real-world bloodshed,” warned the Centre for Democracy and Development in its 2023 post-election report.
During that cycle, one viral audio—allegedly of Labour Party’s Peter Obi speaking to Bishop David Oyedepo—was a glaring example of how synthetic media can disrupt public trust. Had fact-checkers not responded swiftly, it could have triggered serious political fallout. These types of content are particularly dangerous because they use sight and sound to deceive, making them harder to debunk and more emotionally persuasive.
The World Press Freedom Index 2024 placed Nigeria 112th out of 180 countries, underscoring the increasing challenges faced by journalists. Deepfakes are not just used against politicians—they’re also being weaponized to discredit journalists, activists, and civil society leaders, eroding credibility and public faith in institutions.
“We’ve seen AI-generated smear campaigns ruin reputations, sow division, and confuse voters in seconds. In a society where moral perception matters, this is catastrophic,” notes a Brookings Institution study on deepfakes in global politics.
To counter this looming crisis, Nigeria must act urgently. Key strategies include:
Expanding media and information literacy, as advised by UNESCO, to help Nigerians detect and critically assess manipulated content.
Equipping journalists and fact-checkers with advanced tools like Microsoft’s Video Authenticator or Reality Defender to identify deepfakes in real time.
Strengthening digital regulation through frameworks like the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, ensuring content moderation without stifling expression.
Investing in press freedom and fact-checking infrastructure, giving professionals the resources, training, and independence to combat misinformation effectively.
Collaboration will be crucial. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), tech companies, media platforms, and civil society must coordinate to form a unified front against viral falsehoods. Without this, Nigeria risks going into 2027 with weakened democratic trust and dangerously uninformed electorates.
“Deepfakes don’t just lie—they destroy trust,” Adisa warns. “And in a country already battling division and political unrest, truth may become the first casualty.”
The 2027 general election won’t just test Nigeria’s voting system—it will test its entire information ecosystem. Protecting democracy now means more than securing ballot boxes; it means defending the truth itself.
“It takes years to build trust in democracy,” Adisa concludes, “but it takes seconds to destroy it. Now is the time to act.”