A group, Jos Stakeholders Centre for Peace (JSCP), has organised a two-day workshop to increase the capacity of stakeholders in identifying and managing “COVID-19 related rumours”.
The workshop was aimed at addressing misinformation and disinformation about the pandemic in Plateau State and beyond.
The JSCP Consultant Coordinator, Comrade Jacob Pwakim, said the aim of the workshop was to sensitise stakeholders on the ills of misinformation and disinformation as regards the spread of the virus.
Pwakim said that the outbreak of the virus and its impact on the well-being of the society across the globe prompted the need to consolidate existing efforts especially in the area of the prevention of its spread, misinformation and disinformation through rumour management.
“The spread of misinformation on social media and through other channels can affect COVID-19 vaccine confidence and its prevention,’’ he said.
Similarly, Dr Charles Dickson, a facilitator at the workshop, said that rumour management was key to effective management and prevention of the COVID-19 virus.
Participants were drawn from media, health sector, religious, civil society among others.
