Do you want to strengthen information integrity in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger?
The Digitalise Youth consortium, through Code for Africa (CfA), is offering eight Mythbuster part-time fellowships to community influencers in Benin, Guinea, as well as influencers from the AES countries (Mali, Burkina Faso or Niger) with strong audience across the AES region. During the six-month fellowship, fellows will serve as messengers to advance information resilience in these target communities.
These part-time fellowships are part of an initiative to strengthen information integrity by detecting, disrupting, and deplatforming malign actors in Africa, with a focus on politics and security issues. The programme aims to protect inclusive democracy and human rights in the digital age by leveraging digital technologies, with an emphasis on countering disinformation and harmful narratives.
Successful applicants will work with CfA’s forensic investigation team, iLAB, and the fact-checking team, PesaCheck, to share evidence-based information designed to prevent information manipulation in their communities. The fellows will use their visual storytelling skills or significant social media presence to share the investigative findings. They will produce short, engaging content in graphic, audio, or video formats, primarily in local languages.
Academy Africa will train fellows on fact-checking, ethics, and accuracy in reporting, and a team of international experts and investigative analysts from iLAB and social media engagement professionals from CfA’s Engagement team will mentor them. Fellows will develop the skills to recognise manipulative claims and demand reliable information from the media and watchdog civil society organisations.
The fellowship programme will include:
Training and mentoring: CfA will provide the fellows with advanced training and mentoring in media and social media monitoring.
Networking: Fellows will be part of the Coalition of Peacebuilders (COPP) influencers network and will be invited to speak at network events or present at major continental conferences.
Stipend: Fellows will receive a competitive monthly stipend to aid in attending training and mentorship sessions.
Are you eligible?
The Mythbusters Fellowship seeks to empower nano- and micro-influencers in the target countries to become champions of information integrity. These influencers will use their digital platforms to highlight the dangers of manipulative content in the target countries. Their role involves leading local discussions on the harmful impact of misleading information.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a social media influencer with a large following that actively engages with your content, including in live social media discussions. We will give priority to trusted local messengers working as nano- or macro-influencers.
- You must be non-partisan, with no ties to government agencies, paramilitary organisations, political parties, state-affiliated media, or other bodies that may create the perception of partisanship during elections.
- You must commit to publishing/disseminating your content on your social media accounts.
- You must be fluent in either English or French.
- You must have access to a reliable laptop or desktop computer with stable internet connectivity to participate in programme activities and online courses/mentoring.
- You must commit to sharing your new skills and knowledge in your organisation, with your followers, and with the wider journalism/research community, by showcasing your projects and techniques to your peers.
- You must be available for virtual training and mentorship sessions.
The deadline for applications is 09 February 2026.
To apply, please fill out this form.
Questions? Reach out to mitchelle.awuor@codeforafrica.org and dalila.yaro@codeforafrica.org
About the partners:
Code for Africa is Africa’s largest civic technology and open data incubator. The organisation supports digital democracy and investigative data journalism initiatives to give citizens access to actionable information and amplify citizen voices to make society more responsive and accountable. CfA’s mission is to leverage technology and data to foster digital democracies and empower citizens by providing actionable information.
The African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) is the only continent-wide research coalition focused on understanding how disinformation and influence or information operations are being used to subvert African democracies or watchdog institutions. The initiative is member-driven, consisting of 15 organisations that run substantive Africa-focused analytical research or investigations. Find out more about ADDO’s activities and members here.
AfricTivistes functions as the digital activism catalyst for the The Digitalise Youth consortium (DY consortium), launching innovation hubs and civic tech events to foster grassroots solutions. It will fund youth developers building tools to counter disinformation and monitor governance accountability. AfricTivistes will leverage its pan-African network to ensure culturally resonant, locally driven advocacy.
European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) is the policy architect of the DY consortium, driving digital rights reforms through AU/ECOWAS engagement and global platforms like the UN. It will connect Sahel youth leaders with AU-ECOSOCC to advance the African Charter on Democracy. EPD will integrate civic tech into regional governance frameworks through coalition-building and advocacy.
CFI is the media integrity guardian of the DY consortium, training Sahel journalists to combat misinformation and online threats. It will equip young creators with ethical storytelling tools and amplify human rights reporting via Francophone media partnerships. CFI will prioritise digital safety for activists in conflict zones like Sudan and Mali.
World Scout Bureau Africa (WOSM) operates as the youth skills accelerator of the DY consortium, using Scouting networks to teach digital literacy and AI basics in underserved communities. It will fund grassroots tech projects in Benin and Cameroon, fostering youth leadership in climate and governance. WOSM will deploy mobile training units to bridge urban-rural tech gaps.
Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF) is the human rights steward of the DY consortium, advancing ethical AI governance aligned with AU standards. It will mentor activists in Ethiopia and Somalia to advocate for digital rights safeguards. KAF will link Sahel partners to global platforms like the UN, ensuring local voices shape international tech policies.
To all recruitment agencies: CfA does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our employment application line, CfA employees or any other CfA contact. CfA is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Please note: Due to high volumes of applications, we are unable to respond to each one individually. If you are selected for an interview, we will contact you.