Policy Lab Africa: tackling misinformation by promoting digital literacy among young people in Nigeria

Step into the world of Policy Lab Africa, an organisation in Nigeria that uses Human-centered design to imagine sustainable futures. This think tank works to raise awareness among young people about the impact of technology and the proactive actions they can take to have a more balanced digital life. Having a special focus on battling misinformation, Policy Lab Africa has resorted to Tactical Tech’s resources to organise 13 educational workshops in four universities across Nigeria attended by over 300 people. In these  spaces, young participants were equipped with knowledge and tools to become change-makers while interacting with the materials within The Glass Room and What The Future Wants exhibitions.

After running the workshops, the Policy Lab team told Tactical Tech that this partnership allowed them to test new approaches aimed at delivering impactful educational content for young people.

Many students gave positive feedback after the workshops, as they felt engaged in rethinking their relationship with technology. To cite two examples, student Azez was inspired to balance his screen time and understood why mobile phones are designed to attract our attention. Likewise, Sarah, a chemistry student, told Policy Lab that their workshop helped her with her side project, an online fashion business. Since her business account was hacked in the past, she learned key tips to secure her passwords and felt motivated to pass on the advice to her peers.

Through the partnership the team members “have been empowered to take on leadership roles within their environment. They can become advocates for change, guiding and influencing their peers, colleagues, friends and community members through their knowledge, experiences, and persuasive abilities.”