The war we Africans must fight but aren’t fighting…. Disinformation - An Opinion Piece By Yinka Oloòtọ́
There is a famous Yoruba proverb:
"Bi a kò bá ṣàlàyé òtítọ́, irọ́ á maa tàn káàkiri bí òtítọ́."
If the truth is not explained, lies will spread like the truth.
We are a continent rich in spirit, culture, land, and resilience but our greatest war today is not waged with weapons or soldiers. It is waged with words, narratives, lies, and manipulation. It is a war of disinformation, and unlike past struggles, this war is silent, global, and dangerously underestimated by many Africans.
While our ancestors fought against colonialism, slavery, and apartheid with bravery and clarity, we are now faced with a digital colonisation that is just as dangerous but far more subtle. It is happening on our phones, on our timelines, in our WhatsApp groups, and through the very algorithms that curate what we see, what we believe, and ultimately, how we act.
Disinformation
Disinformation is not just false information. It is deliberate, targeted misinformation designed to divide, destabilise, and control. It is often funded, engineered, and amplified by actors both foreign and local who benefit from a weak, confused, and distracted Africa.
What does this look like for us?
Viral posts stoking ethnic hatred during elections
Fake news about vaccines or diseases
Bots and fake accounts spreading lies about African leaders or movements
Western media narratives framing Africa as helpless, corrupt and violent while silencing African voices and victories
What makes this battle even harder for us is that we are not taught to question what we consume. We are not digital soldiers, even though we’re living in a digital battlefield. We need to rise up and critically analyse each and every piece of information we receive, we cannot continue mindlessly consuming information that is subconsciously determining our outlooks and narratives. We must change our minds to change our hearts.
Why Should We Care?
Because disinformation is a tool of modern-day control and modern-day power.
It undermines our democracies. Disinformation can swing elections, delegitimise candidates, and create chaos in our institutions. It deepens divisions. Tribalism, xenophobia, and religious conflict are often fanned by fake or misleading information. It stunts our development. Fake health advice, scams, and propaganda affect our public health, education, and economies. It keeps Africa at the mercy of others. As long as we don’t control our narratives, others will define us and exploit us.
Where Is the African Response?
Where Is the African Response?
Europe has "media literacy" programs. The US has cybersecurity task forces. Asia invests heavily in online surveillance and counter-propaganda strategies.
But where is Africa’s coordinated response?
Where are our grassroots media literacy campaigns? Where are our tech start-ups fighting fake news in Swahili, Yoruba, Zulu, or Amharic? Where are the government policies protecting our people from psychological warfare? Where are our own African platforms built for us, by us, with our values and languages at the core?
This is why “PFTD” is so important. This is the diaspora’s call to arms and inward look into the very place that we have to begin to realise is not just our father’s or mother’s but contains the answers to our deepest inner truths. I sincerely hope this article acts as the beginning of the diasporas critical analysis and exploration of all news ‘African’.
The Empowered African Response Must Begin Now – SOLUTIONS!
We cannot wait for the West to fix this for us. They benefit too much from our confusion.
This is our war, and it requires:
Media literacy in every African classroom. Teach our children to question, analyse, and verify information.
Community based awareness campaigns. Use churches, mosques, local radios, and influencers to educate people especially elders and the digitally vulnerable.
Support for African tech and media. Invest in platforms that prioritise truth, context, and African realities.
A new breed of African journalists. Trained to uncover the truth, counter fake news, and protect our people with facts.
Continental cooperation. An African Union backed digital safety protocol that tracks, exposes, and responds to disinformation threats across borders.
The Final Call to Arms
This war is real. While it doesn’t look like the wars of the past, it is just as deadly.
But there is hope.
We are the descendants of revolutionaries, storytellers, kings, queens, and freedom fighters. We’ve survived the impossible before and we will do it again. But first, we must wake up, stand up, and fight smart.
We must awaken.
We must tear ourselves free from the rusted shackles of mental subjugation —
a silent tyranny that has dulled our minds,
reduced us to wanderers in the mire of manufactured truths,
fed to us by the architects of modern disinformation.
This is not merely resistance.
This is reclamation.
Of thought.
Of clarity.
Of the Ancestral fire that once burned in every soul of our forefathers
Disclaimer: we do not own the rights to this image - it is being used purely for educational/journalistic purposes. link to image
