The Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) has urged the media to play a more active role in protecting the integrity of the 2027 general elections amid the growing influence of artificial intelligence, social media and digital platforms on electoral communication.
The National President of ACSPN, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, made the call in Abuja at a press conference to herald the Association’s 2026 Annual Conference, which will be hosted by the National Open University of Nigeria.
Olatunji said the rapid transformation of the communication environment had created new opportunities as well as serious challenges for Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
He said artificial intelligence, social media, digital platforms, algorithms and data-driven political communication were increasingly shaping how citizens access information, interact with political actors, form opinions and participate in elections.
The ACSPN president stressed that the emerging digital environment required the media to strengthen its capacity to detect and counter misinformation and disinformation capable of misleading voters and undermining confidence in the electoral process.
“We need journalists who can interrogate data. We need editors who understand artificial intelligence and digital manipulation. We need media organisations capable of identifying misinformation and disinformation,” he said.
According to him, the media must also help citizens understand complex electoral technologies and digital developments without sensationalism, while ensuring that public discourse remains anchored on facts and credible information.
The 2026 ACSPN Annual Conference is themed, “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
Olatunji explained that the theme was deliberately chosen to address the changing dynamics of electoral communication and examine how technology was influencing democratic participation in Nigeria and across Africa.
He described the media and communication scholarship as “two wings of one bird,” stressing that neither could effectively contribute to society in isolation.
According to him, communication scholars generate knowledge, conduct research and provide intellectual frameworks for understanding society, while media professionals translate information into public knowledge, hold institutions accountable and provide platforms for public conversation.
“Neither wing can effectively fly alone. That is why a stronger partnership between communication scholars and the media is indispensable,” he said.
Olatunji called on media organisations to partner with ACSPN in taking the issues to be discussed at the conference beyond the academic environment and making them accessible to citizens across the country.
He specifically urged the media to interrogate the implications of artificial intelligence, social media, algorithms, data analytics and digital platforms for the 2027 elections, while promoting fact-based public discourse.
He also called on journalists and media organisations to provide citizens with accurate information required to make informed democratic choices and to hold all stakeholders, including ACSPN, accountable.
The ACSPN president said the Association was prepared to contribute its intellectual resources, professional expertise and institutional capacity towards building a more informed, inclusive, peaceful and credible electoral process.
He said the 2026 conference should not be viewed merely as an annual academic gathering but as an opportunity to generate evidence, challenge assumptions and develop practical solutions to emerging communication challenges affecting democracy.
Olatunji also announced the introduction of the ACSPN Fellowship and Special Awards as one of the major innovations of the 2026 conference.
He said the awards would recognise outstanding contributions to communication scholarship, professional practice and national development, including posthumous recognition of pioneering members such as the late Professor Lai Oso, the Foundation President of ACSPN, and the late Professor Dayo Alao.
He said the initiative would also recognise living pioneers and leaders whose contributions had helped shape the Association and the communication profession.
The National President expressed optimism that the conference would strengthen the relationship between scholarship, professional practice, policymaking and citizen participation as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 elections.
He urged stakeholders to use the conference as a platform for building stronger safeguards against digital manipulation and improving the quality of electoral communication in Nigeria and Africa.
