In spring 2026, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) commissioned FID to work with Benin, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal to incorporate the issues of information integrity and press freedom into their national action plans. In its report, FID provides an overview of the issues and presents recommendations for the four countries.
Access to reliable information is a cornerstone of open government. Yet, this right is threatened by the current changes of the information space, in particular digital platforms, the development and deployment of generative artificial intelligence, the mass dissemination of disinformation, and the fragility of the business model of independent media.
Building upon these observations the Open Government Partnership (OGP) commissioned FID to carry out a project between February 2026 and June 2026 in Benin, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal. The aim was to ensure that issues relating to press freedom and information integrity were given greater consideration in the co-creation processes for the OGP’s national action plans.
Discussion and reflection workshops were co-organised by the OGP teams in Benin, Ivory Coast and Senegal and FID in April 2026, bringing together OGP teams and technical staff, the ministries of communication, media regulators, and representatives of civil society and the media. Interviews with experts were conducted in Morocco.
The findings were similar across the various countries: the media’s business model is in crisis and deteriorating, as it is everywhere else in the world, directly threatening access to reliable, pluralistic and independent information. At the same time, disinformation is on the rise and social media has become one of the most important sources of information, particularly amongst young people.
In light of this new reality, safeguarding information integrity and incorporating these issues into the OGP process – particularly within future national action plans – has been recognised as essential to advancing open government.
The effective implementation of access to information laws is key, as are improved media literacy and institutional support for the media to foster innovation. Countries can draw on progress in Africa regarding platform regulation to promote accountability, ensuring that the structures enabling the spread of disinformation are regulated, rather than the content itself.
The cooperative and participatory framework put in place for the OGP process presents an excellent opportunity to organise an inclusive dialogue and identify priority actions for information integrity.
The report provides an overview of the discussions held during meetings involving the various stakeholders and sets out specific recommendations for strengthening information integrity and press freedom. It also serves as a source of inspiration for other countries undertaking open government reforms.
