A non-governmental organisation (NGO), TechSocietal, on Friday warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered deepfakes, online harassment and coordinated disinformation could increasingly target women journalists ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.

Emmanuella Aston, the Cyber Security and Digital Protection Officer, TechSocietal, gave the warning at a two-day training organised for 30 female journalists of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Ms Aston said that due to increasing digital threats to women, especially those in public life, they needed to adopt stronger digital security.

She said women in public life faced growing risks from cyberattacks, AI-generated deepfakes, doxxing, trolling and non-consensual intimate image abuse aimed at damaging reputations.

The cybersecurity expert said that women journalists, politicians and activists could not simply leave digital platforms because online visibility remained essential.

“The specialised training focuses on practical digital protection measures tailored to women in public life instead of generic online safety guidance.

“Advances in artificial intelligence has made creating convincing fake images, videos and voices easier, increasing the risks of coordinated smear campaigns.

“Evolving digital threats require stronger security skills, especially as political activities intensify before the 2027 elections,’’ she said.

Ms Aston noted that participants implemented security settings during the training’s practical sessions, ensuring they left with improved protection for their devices, accounts and digital identities.

She, however, urged participants to transfer the acquired knowledge to other women, multiplying digital safety awareness across newsrooms, civil society and public institutions.

Also, Jessica Ikemdilim, the legal and policy programmes officer, TechSocietal, trained participants on detecting synthetic media, AI-generated abuse and deepfakes threatening information integrity.

Ms Ikemdilim said journalists learned to verify digital content using metadata and other forensic techniques to distinguish authentic materials from AI-generated manipulations.

She expressed optimism that participants would apply the skills professionally and help create safer online spaces free from AI-enabled abusive content.

A deputy editor-in-chief at NAN, Ijeoma Popoola, described the training as timely and essential for women with an online presence and influence.

Mrs Popoola said the sessions simplified complex cybersecurity concepts and equipped participants with practical knowledge to protect their devices, personal information and digital identities.

Also, an assistant editor-in-chief, Folasade Adeniran, said that the training had provided insights into how to stay safe online and identify deepfakes and other forms of synthetic media.

Another participant, Florence Onuegbu, recommended expanding similar training to male journalists, citing growing cyber threats and the increasing use of AI for misinformation and reputational attacks.

A journalism intern, Aisha Martins, said the training strengthened her ability to identify deepfakes, verify digital content and counter AI-generated falsehoods in professional reporting. 

(NAN)