OSOGBO — The International Press Centre, IPC, has announced the deployment of a WhatsApp-enabled, Artificial Intelligence-assisted Live Election Incident Reporting System, known as WAFLO, to monitor and document incidents affecting journalists during the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The initiative was unveiled ahead of the poll as part of efforts to strengthen the safety and protection of journalists and other media professionals covering the exercise.
According to the Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, WAFLO is designed to facilitate real-time reporting, documentation and monitoring of incidents affecting journalists and press freedom during the election.
Arogundade explained that the deployment of WAFLO for the Osun off-cycle governorship election is a pilot scheme aimed at improving prompt identification and response to electoral incidents involving journalists, including assaults, threats and other forms of infringement on press freedom.
“He said the system would subsequently be upgraded and expanded for full deployment during the 2027 general elections,” the statement noted.
The IPC Executive Director said the fundamental objective of WAFLO was to ensure that incidents affecting journalists did not go unreported or unattended.
“Through real-time reporting, verification and response, the platform would provide stakeholders with a practical mechanism to quickly identify threats, assaults and other safety concerns and take appropriate action,” Arogundade stated.
He added that the overarching goal was to strengthen the safety of journalists and enable them to carry out their professional responsibilities without fear during the Osun election and subsequent elections.
Arogundade said the value of WAFLO would be demonstrated through its ability to transform reported incidents into actionable information, “thereby enabling stakeholders to respond more promptly and strengthen the protection of journalists covering elections.”
The statement disclosed that journalists could access the reporting channel through the SafeMedia WhatsApp prompt, either by visiting the provided link or by typing “safemedia” and sending it to 0805 877 8053.
The initiative is being implemented with support from Media Phase Two of the European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria, EU-SDGN, Programme and the Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, in collaboration with key stakeholders and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ.
WAFLO is expected to complement and reinforce existing EU-SDGN initiatives, including the safety of journalists desk managed by IPC.
The statement identified Melody Akinjiyan, Press Freedom Officer, and Bukola Obaju’o, Safety Monitoring Officer, as contact persons for the initiative.
The IPC also encouraged journalists to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by WAFLO, particularly while taking into consideration the tips contained in its Press Safety Advisory.
It urged journalists to ensure that they are properly accredited and carry their identification cards, press/media tags and other relevant credentials at all times during the Osun governorship election.
The Centre further advised journalists to remain security-conscious, conduct necessary questioning and identity checks, and be alert to possible obstruction by security personnel.
It called on security agencies, political actors, election stakeholders and other relevant authorities to respect the rights of journalists to perform their constitutional and professional responsibilities without intimidation, harassment or undue interference.
The IPC thanked the leadership of the Osun NUJ for agreeing to support the technology-driven initiative aimed at documenting and responding to attacks on journalists.
The deployment of WAFLO is expected to provide an additional layer of protection for journalists covering the Osun election while creating a reliable channel for the prompt reporting and response to incidents affecting press freedom and media safety.
