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Facebook Expand Local Language Coverage
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Published 8/21/2019 7:32:43 PM
Facebook Expand Local Language Coverage – THISDAYLIVE
Facebook, in collaboration with Africa Check, announced it has added new local language support for several African languages as part of its third-party fact-vhecking programme, which helps to assess the accuracy of news on Facebook, and aims to reduce the spread of misinformation.
Launched in 2018 across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Cameroon, Facebook has partnered Africa Check, Africa’s first independent fact-checking organisation, to expand its local language coverage across Nigeria (Yoruba and Igbo), adding to Hausa which was already supported, Kenya (Swahili), Senegal (Wolof), as well as South Africa (Afrikaans, Zulu, Setswana, Sotho, Northern Sotho and Southern Ndebele)
Facebook Head of Public Policy, Africa, Kojo Boakye, said: “We continue to make significant investments in our efforts to fight the spread of false news on our platform, whilst building supportive, safe, informed and inclusive communities. Our third-party fact-checking programme is just one of many ways we are doing this, and with the expansion of local language coverage, this will help in further improving the quality of information people see on Facebook. We know there is still more to do, and we’re committed to this.”
Commenting, Executive Director of Africa Check, Noko Makgato, said “We’re thrilled to be expanding the arsenal of the languages we cover in our work on Facebook’s third-party fact-checking programme. In countries as linguistically diverse as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Senegal, fact-checking in local languages is vital. Not only does it let us fact-check more content on Facebook, it also means we’ll be reaching more people across Africa with verified, credible information.”
Facebook’s fact-checking programme relies on feedback from the Facebook community, as one of many signals Facebook uses to raise potentially false stories to fact-checkers for review. Local articles will be fact-checked alongside the verification of photos and videos. If one of Facebook’s fact-checking partners identifies a story as false, Facebook will show it lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution.
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Jobberman Nigeria, Nigeria’s leading career development and recruitment solutions company, has launched ‘Her Next Move’, a campaign designed to empower young Nigerian women with practical skills and confidence to pursue career opportunities and participate more fully in the workforce.
Through free online training, the initiative supports women aged 18 to 35 as they prepare to enter the workplace, advance into better roles or explore freelance and gig work.
Built around the message ‘Your Future. Your Skills. Your Move’, the campaign places female inclusion at the centre of career development, encouraging women to take an active role in shaping their professional futures. It connects the ambition to progress with an accessible starting point: learning skills that can help women prepare for their next opportunity.
‘Her Next Move’ recognises that career progress looks different for every woman. For a graduate, it may mean preparing for a first job. For a woman already working, it may involve developing the skills to take on greater responsibility or pursue a new role. For another, it may mean understanding how to navigate freelance work and participate in the global gig economy. The campaign brings these aspirations together through a shared emphasis on learning, preparation and action.
This Initiative by Jobberman in partnership with Mastercard Foundation promotes two courses: Jobberman Soft Skills Training and Becoming a Successful Global Gig Worker. Both courses are free, with a free certificate upon successful completion.
Jobberman Soft Skills Training focuses on workplace readiness, helping participants build the professional skills needed to navigate work and prepare for career progression. Becoming a Successful Global Gig Worker introduces participants to the demands and opportunities of freelance and gig work, supporting women interested in exploring career paths beyond traditional employment.
By making the training and certification available at no cost, ‘Her Next Move’ reduces the financial barrier to participation and encourages more young women to invest in their professional development. Its focus extends from raising awareness of learning opportunities to helping participants follow through and complete their chosen course.
To bring the campaign to life, Jobberman is working with young creators who are sharing personal stories about ambition, career transitions and the role of learning in their journeys. Through videos, social media posts and follow-up conversations, the creators encourage young women to reflect on their own goals and identify the practical steps they can take towards them.
These stories are intended to make career development relatable, connecting everyday aspirations with opportunities to learn. Across the campaign, the question “What is your next move?” invites women to define progress for themselves and begin preparing for it.
‘Her Next Move’ reinforces Jobberman’s and Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to supporting career development and expanding access to learning for young Nigerian women. By combining free skills training with relatable storytelling and encouragement to take action, the campaign seeks to help more women feel prepared to pursue their ambitions.
