Published: February 23, 2026
LAGOS, Nigeria – ECOWAS Civic-technology initiative, Observe West Africa has launched a regional data platform aimed at combating election related misinformation and improving transparency in democratic processes across West Africa, its founders said at a virtual event.
The platform aggregates open-source governance data, civil society inputs and analytical tools into a centralized system designed to support journalists, policymakers and researchers during election cycles. The launch event brought together civic leaders, technologists and development stakeholders from across the region.
The Organizers demonstrated the platform’s monitoring and data-visualisation features and outlined plans for regional expansion. Observe West Africa was developed following the Civic Hive Hack4 Democracy 2025 event held in Lagos in May last year, where participants were tasked with creating digital solutions to strengthen democratic governance.
The founders have disclosed that the project emerged as a scalable response to the growing challenge of election misinformation and data gaps. Elections in several West African countries have in recent years been affected by misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns, often amplified through digital platforms.
Analysts say the rapid spread of false or misleading content can undermine trust in electoral institutions and inflame political tensions. “By uniting data, insights and public-accountability tools, we aim to sustain momentum for democracy and governance across West Africa,” said co-founder Oludamilola Albert.
Co-founder Luther D. Jeke said the initiative reflects the role open data can play in strengthening institutional transparency and democratic resilience. The organisation said it plans to expand its country-level datasets, enhance analytics capabilities and build partnerships with academic institutions, media organisations and civil society groups across the region.
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