How We Source Information — Daily Reality NG
📎 Editorial Transparency — Daily Reality NG
How We Source Information
The complete methodology behind every article on this platform — who we cite, what we verify, what we reject, and why it matters for you.
Why Sourcing Transparency Matters — And Why This Page Exists
The internet is full of Nigerian content that looks like journalism. Articles with statistics that have no source. Claims about CBN policy that cite "industry insiders." Fintech comparisons that are quietly sponsored by one of the platforms being compared. Numbers that were accurate in 2021 being recycled as current fact in 2026.
You deserve to know how the publication you are reading built what you are reading. Not as a legal disclaimer buried in small print, but as a plain-language account of the specific standards we apply to every piece of content published under the Daily Reality NG name. This page is that account.
"A reader who understands how information was sourced is a reader who can evaluate whether to trust it. Transparency about methodology is not optional for a serious publication — it is the foundation of the relationship between the journalist and the person reading their work."
Samson Ese, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Daily Reality NG — Warri, Delta State, 2026Daily Reality NG was launched on October 26, 2025, with one core commitment: to be the Nigerian digital publication that tells the truth about Nigerian realities, sourced from Nigerian data, written by an identified Nigerian author who takes personal accountability for every word published. This sourcing methodology page is the operational documentation of that commitment.
The 6 Source Types We Use — And How We Rank Them
Not all sources are equal. Daily Reality NG applies a source hierarchy — giving highest weight to primary sources and lowest weight to secondary aggregators. Here is the complete taxonomy of sources we use, in order of editorial priority:
Tier 1 — Nigerian Government Primary Sources
Official data from CBN, NCC, NBS, FMOH, CAC, FIRS, NITDA, NAFDAC, PENCOM, NHIA, and other regulatory bodies. This is our highest-trust source tier for Nigerian policy, statistics, and regulatory information. All figures are verified at the originating agency's official website — not from a third-party article about the agency's statement.
Tier 2 — Peer-Reviewed Academic Research
Published research from PubMed, PMC, PLOS journals, Cambridge Core, The Lancet, BMJ, and other peer-reviewed platforms. Used for health, economic, and social science claims that require scientific grounding. The publication date, journal name, and author affiliations are always identified.
Tier 3 — International Institutional Data
Official publications and data from WHO, IMF, World Bank, ITU, IFC, AfDB, UN agencies, and comparable bodies. Used when Nigerian-specific data is absent or needs contextual benchmarking. Source documents are cited directly — not press releases about those documents.
Tier 4 — Credible Nigerian Journalism
BusinessDay NG, The Guardian Nigeria, Punch, Vanguard, Premium Times, TechCabal, Healthnika, Nairametrics, and comparable platforms with editorial standards, named authors, and documented correction policies. Used for current events, market data, and Nigerian context. Always cited with article title, date, and publication.
Tier 5 — Verified Research & Data Platforms
DataReportal, Statista, Ookla Speedtest Intelligence, TradingEconomics, FocusEconomics, WorldPopulationReview, and similar platforms with documented methodologies. Used for market data, connectivity statistics, and comparative global benchmarks. Methodology limitations are noted where relevant.
Tier 6 — Original Reporting & Expert Interviews
Original research conducted by Samson Ese — including analysis of regulatory documents, first-hand review of product terms and conditions, price verification, and where applicable, direct communication with industry professionals. Original reporting is clearly identified as Daily Reality NG original analysis.
⚠️ The Source Tier Rule in Practice
If a Tier 4 journalism source reports a statistic that cites a Tier 1 government source, we go directly to the Tier 1 source to verify the figure before publishing. We do not cite the journalism article citing the government — we cite the government source directly. This one rule eliminates the most common cause of statistical errors in Nigerian digital publishing: the telephone-game amplification of misquoted figures across multiple articles.
Our 5-Step Verification Process — What Happens Before Any Claim is Published
Every factual claim, statistic, policy figure, or piece of data published on Daily Reality NG passes through the following five-step process before it appears in an article. This process applies to every piece of content regardless of how widely the underlying claim is already circulating.
Source Identification — Find the Original, Not the Derivative
The first step is identifying the original source of the claim — not an article citing the original source, but the original document itself. If a claim comes from a CBN press release, we access the CBN website directly. If it comes from a WHO report, we access the WHO Africa document directly. This step eliminates compounded errors from source chains where each publication slightly modifies the claim from the previous one.
Date Verification — Is This Current or Historical?
Every statistic has a date. An NCC broadband penetration figure from November 2025 is not the same as one from January 2024. An inflation rate from December 2025 is not applicable to a 2026 analysis without acknowledgment that it may have changed. Daily Reality NG requires that every published figure is accompanied by its date. If the most current data available is older than 6 months for a rapidly-changing metric, this limitation is explicitly noted in the article.
Corroboration — Does a Second Independent Source Agree?
For significant statistical claims — population-level health figures, economic data, policy outcomes — we seek at least one independent corroborating source before publishing. When two credible independent sources disagree on a figure (which is common in Nigerian broadband and health statistics), both figures are published with their respective sources and methodological differences explained. We do not average conflicting figures or pick the more dramatic number.
Link Verification — Does Every External Link Resolve to a Real Page?
Every external link published in every Daily Reality NG article is manually verified to resolve to the correct page before publication. A link to a CBN document must open the actual CBN document. A link to a PLOS Mental Health journal article must open the actual journal article. Links that redirect to error pages, paywalled content without disclosure, or unrelated pages are replaced with working alternatives or removed. This is verified on each article update, not only at initial publication.
Context Check — Is This Claim Being Used Fairly?
A statistic used out of context can mislead as effectively as a false statistic. The final step in our verification process asks: is this claim being presented in a way that accurately reflects what the source actually says? A government announcement of a programme target is not evidence the target has been met. A preliminary research finding is not a confirmed conclusion. Nigeria achieving 50% broadband penetration is not the same as achieving the 70% target. Our editorial standard requires that numbers are used with the qualifications their original sources intended them to carry.
How We Use Nigerian Government Data — Critical, Not Credulous
Nigerian government data is among the most important sources for understanding Nigerian realities — and among the most important sources to use critically. Daily Reality NG applies the following specific standards when working with official Nigerian government data:
| Scenario | How We Handle It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Government announces target achievement | We verify the claim against the original target and report the gap if one exists. We do not republish achievement claims as fact without independent verification. | Nigeria's 70% broadband target for 2025 was reported as a miss (50–58% achieved) based on NCC data — not simply as government claimed |
| Government data conflicts with independent research | Both figures are published with sources. The discrepancy is explained including methodology differences. The reader is given the information to evaluate both claims. | NCC's 50.58% broadband and FIJ.ng's ~58% figure were both reported with different methodology explanations |
| Government data is the only available source | Published with clear attribution and acknowledgment that independent verification was not available. Limitations noted. | CBN MPR decisions — sourced directly from cbn.gov.ng as the only authoritative source, which is appropriate |
| Government data is outdated | Age of data is stated. If the metric changes frequently, the data's currency limitation is noted explicitly. Reader is directed to the agency's current data page. | Older NBS employment statistics are cited with their survey date and a note that more current data may be available |
| Government makes a policy commitment | Policy commitment is reported as a commitment, not as achieved fact. Tracked in future updates against actual implementation. | Nigeria's Mental Health Commission establishment commitment — reported as unestablished as of December 2025 in our policy tracking |
| 💡 The rule: government data informs Daily Reality NG analysis. It does not define it. Accountability journalism means reporting what institutions said they would do alongside what they actually did. | ||
Official Nigerian sources we access directly for data verification:
- Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — monetary policy, banking regulation, exchange rates, financial inclusion data
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) — inflation, GDP, employment, poverty, trade data
- Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) — broadband, telecom subscribers, spectrum, digital inclusion
- Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) — health policy, public health data, NHIA programme information
- Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) — business registration, company data, regulatory requirements
- Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) — tax policy, revenue data, compliance requirements
- NITDA — digital economy policy, data protection, tech development programmes
- NAFDAC — drug regulation, food safety standards, product registration data
What We Never Use as Sources — Our Rejection List
These are the source types Daily Reality NG explicitly excludes from all articles, regardless of how widely the underlying claim is circulating or how convenient it would be to use them:
❌ WhatsApp Forwards
Nigerian WhatsApp groups circulate policy claims, statistics, and "breaking news" that are frequently false, outdated, or taken entirely out of context. No WhatsApp forward is used as a factual source on this platform under any circumstances.
❌ Anonymous Sources for Data
Statistical claims require an identifiable, accountable source. "Industry insiders" and "sources familiar with the matter" are not used to support factual claims. Anonymous attribution is acceptable only for context, not for data.
❌ Undated Statistics
A figure without a date is not a verifiable figure. Any statistic without a specific date is excluded. An exception is made only for stable definitional figures (e.g. physical constants) that do not change over time.
❌ Unverified Social Media Posts
Screenshots of tweets, Facebook posts, or Instagram captions are not used as primary sources for factual claims. Social media may identify a story for investigation but is not itself the evidence.
❌ Content Farms and AI Aggregators
Websites that generate content through AI bulk writing without editorial verification are excluded, regardless of their domain authority or search ranking. Many rank highly and contain fabricated statistics.
❌ Sponsored Research Without Disclosure
Research funded by a party with financial interest in the outcome — without clear disclosure of that funding — is treated with the same scepticism as sponsored editorial content. Funding relationships are investigated where possible.
❌ Preprints as Established Fact
Pre-publication research that has not completed peer review is clearly labelled as preliminary findings when cited. It is never presented as the same level of evidence as peer-reviewed published research.
❌ Publications Without Named Authors
Content published without author attribution is not used as a primary source. The absence of a named author is a red flag that editorial accountability is absent. Exceptions include official government and institutional documents.
What We Do Accept — Source Quality Markers
These are the positive markers that make a source acceptable for use in Daily Reality NG articles. A source gains credibility points for each of the following it demonstrates:
✅ Named Author with Credentials
An identified individual who takes personal responsibility for the content, with verifiable professional credentials relevant to the subject matter.
✅ Publication Date Clearly Stated
The date the research was conducted or the article published is clearly visible — not just a "last updated" web timestamp that changes without content change.
✅ Primary Source Citations
The article or report itself cites identifiable primary sources for its own claims — meaning the evidence chain can be traced back to original data.
✅ Documented Correction Policy
The publication has a visible, active correction process and has demonstrated willingness to publicly correct errors when identified — rather than silently editing or deleting content.
✅ Editorial Independence Stated
The publication discloses its funding sources and states explicitly that editorial content is not influenced by commercial relationships or sponsorship arrangements.
✅ Methodology Transparency
Research publications describe their methodology in enough detail that the reader can evaluate the limitations of their findings — sample size, geography, timeframe, and analytical approach.
External Link Standards — Every Link Must Open to the Right Place
Every external link published in a Daily Reality NG article is subject to the following non-negotiable standards. A broken link or a link that goes to the wrong destination is treated as a factual error requiring correction — not a minor formatting issue.
| Link Standard | Requirement | How We Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Destination accuracy | Every link must open to the specific document, article, or page being cited — not to the publication's homepage or a search results page | Manual click-through verification before publication |
| Source currency | Links to sources older than 12 months for rapidly-changing data are reviewed for replacement with more current sources on each article update | Checked during article update process — update dates are always visible |
| No affiliate links in source citations | Source citation links never contain affiliate parameters. If a product or service is independently recommended and an affiliate link exists, this is disclosed separately under our Advertiser Disclosure policy | Strict internal policy — source links and commercial links maintained as distinct elements |
| Paywall disclosure | Links to paywalled academic journals or subscriber-only content are labelled so readers know what to expect. Free-access versions (PubMed PMC full text, preprints) are preferred where available | Verified at time of linking; alternative open-access sources sought first |
| Government website links | Links to Nigerian government websites (.gov.ng domains) are preferred for agency data. Third-party articles about agency data are supplementary, not primary | Primary agency website checked for the original document before citing third-party summaries |
| Broken link correction | Broken links identified by readers or on review are corrected within 48 hours. Corrections are noted in the article update log where the link was substantive to the article's argument | Reader reports to dailyrealityng@gmail.com with subject line "Broken Link" |
| 📧 Found a broken or incorrect link? Email dailyrealityng@gmail.com with "Broken Link" in the subject and the article URL. We fix it within 48 hours. | ||
AI Tools — Full Disclosure of How They Are and Are Not Used
Artificial intelligence tools play a role in Daily Reality NG's production workflow. In the interest of the transparency this page is built on, here is a complete and honest account of how AI is and is not used on this platform.
How AI Is Used at Daily Reality NG
- AI-assisted research — conducting searches, identifying relevant sources, organising information gathered from primary sources
- AI-assisted drafting — structuring long-form articles, generating initial frameworks that are then significantly edited, expanded, and verified by the author
- AI-assisted SEO and metadata — generating and refining title variations, meta descriptions, and structured data markup
- AI-assisted HTML production — generating and optimising the HTML5 code structure for articles
What AI Does Not Do at Daily Reality NG
- AI does not independently verify statistics or source claims. Every figure in every article is manually verified by Samson Ese against its primary source before publication.
- AI does not make editorial judgments about what to cover, what angle to take, or what conclusions to draw from data. All editorial decisions are made by Samson Ese.
- AI-generated statistics or claims that cannot be independently verified are not published. If an AI research tool provides a figure without a traceable primary source, that figure is excluded.
- AI does not select sources to exclude in order to present a more convenient narrative. Source selection is editorial, not algorithmic.
The Standard We Hold AI-Assisted Work To
Every article that uses AI assistance in any part of its production is held to the same sourcing, verification, and accuracy standards as an article written entirely without AI tools. The presence of AI assistance does not reduce the author's accountability for the accuracy of every claim published. If the standard cannot be met, the article is not published. The author's name appears on every article precisely because the author takes personal responsibility for what it says — regardless of which tools were used to produce it.
Our Correction Policy — Visible, Fast, and Honest
Every publication makes errors. What distinguishes accountable journalism from unaccountable content is not the absence of errors — it is the response to them. Daily Reality NG's correction policy is built on three principles: corrections are visible, corrections are fast, and corrections are honest about what changed.
📋 The Daily Reality NG Correction Process
- Error identified — by a reader, by the author on review, or through new primary source data that supersedes a previously cited figure. All sources of error identification are treated equally — a reader's correction is taken as seriously as an author self-correction.
- Verification — the claimed error is verified against primary sources before any correction is made. A correction based on incorrect information is itself an error. Verification takes precedence over speed.
- Correction published visibly — a correction notice is added at the top of the article, stating: (a) what was incorrect, (b) what the correct information is, (c) the source for the correct information, and (d) the date the correction was made. No silent edits. No retroactive changes to article text without acknowledgment.
- Author accountable — corrections are acknowledged by name. Samson Ese takes personal responsibility for every correction as he does for every article.
- Article update date revised — the "Updated" date at the top of the article is changed to reflect the correction date, so readers know the article has been recently modified.
📬 How to Submit a Correction
If you believe any article on Daily Reality NG contains a factual error, outdated information, or a broken source link, please send an email to dailyrealityng@gmail.com with the following information:
- Subject line: Correction — [Article Title or URL]
- The specific claim you believe is incorrect
- The primary source or evidence for the correct information
- Your name (optional but appreciated for follow-up)
All correction submissions are reviewed personally by Samson Ese. Response time target: 48 hours.
Editorial Independence — What We Will and Will Not Do
The sourcing standards described on this page are only meaningful if the editorial decisions about what to cover, how to cover it, and what conclusions to draw are made independently of commercial pressure. Here is the complete statement of Daily Reality NG's editorial independence commitments.
| Independence Commitment | What This Means in Practice | Status |
|---|---|---|
| No pay-to-feature content | No article on Daily Reality NG has ever been written in exchange for payment from any company, individual, or institution. No product review has been influenced by commercial arrangement. This will remain true. | ✅ Active — no sponsored editorial content ever published |
| No undisclosed affiliate bias | Where affiliate relationships exist for products or services, these are disclosed under the Advertiser Disclosure policy. A product's positive treatment in an article is not evidence of affiliate relationship — but any such relationship will be disclosed. | ✅ Active — full Advertiser Disclosure page maintained |
| No government or political funding | Daily Reality NG has accepted no government contract, media support grant, political party funding, or institutional subsidy. Coverage of government bodies — NCC, CBN, FMOH — is journalistic, not relationship-based. | ✅ Active — fully independent |
| Honest reporting of missed targets | When Nigerian institutions — government agencies, fintech companies, banks — miss their stated targets or commitments, Daily Reality NG reports the target, the outcome, and the gap. Diplomatic softening that protects institutions at readers' expense violates editorial independence. | ✅ Active — documented in CBN policy, broadband, and health articles |
| No suppression of negative findings | If research, data, or investigation reveals information that contradicts a previously published claim or reflects negatively on a frequently-cited institution, that information is published even when it is inconvenient. | ✅ Active — editorial standard |
| Advertising clearly separated from content | When advertising appears on Daily Reality NG (via Google AdSense or direct placement), it is visually distinct from editorial content. Advertising revenue does not influence what topics are covered or what conclusions are drawn. | ✅ Active — AdSense ads are clearly labelled by Google's own standards |
| Full commercial disclosure: Advertiser Disclosure page | Editorial standards: Editorial Policy page | ||
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Sourcing
Where does Daily Reality NG get its information?
Daily Reality NG sources information from Nigerian government primary sources including CBN, NCC, FMOH, NBS, and CAC; peer-reviewed research from PubMed, PMC, Cambridge Core, and PLOS journals; official international institutions including WHO, IMF, World Bank, and ITU; credible Nigerian journalism including BusinessDay NG, The Guardian Nigeria, Punch, Vanguard, TechCabal, and Healthnika; and verified international research platforms including DataReportal, Statista, and Ookla. All sources are named, linked, and dated in every article. Our full source hierarchy is described in the Source Types section above.
How does Daily Reality NG verify statistics before publishing?
Every statistic passes a five-step process: source identification (finding the original, not a derivative), date verification (confirming the figure is current), corroboration (finding an independent confirming source where possible), link verification (confirming the source link resolves to the correct page), and context checking (confirming the figure is used with the qualifications its source intended). Statistics from press releases are verified against the originating agency's official website before use. Estimated figures are clearly labelled as estimates with their methodology noted.
What sources does Daily Reality NG never use?
Daily Reality NG never uses WhatsApp forwards as factual evidence; anonymous sources for statistical claims; undated statistics; unverified social media posts as primary data; content farms or AI-generated article aggregators without editorial verification; sponsored research without disclosure; preprints presented as established fact; or publications without named authors. Sources with documented histories of publishing false information are excluded regardless of the claim being made.
How does Daily Reality NG handle corrections?
When a factual error is identified, Daily Reality NG adds a visible correction notice at the top of the article stating what was wrong, what the correct information is, the source for the correction, and the date the correction was made. No silent edits. No retroactive changes without acknowledgment. The article's update date is revised to reflect the correction. Corrections can be submitted to dailyrealityng@gmail.com with "Correction" in the subject line. All correction requests are reviewed personally by Samson Ese within 48 hours.
Does Daily Reality NG use AI tools in its research or writing?
Yes — transparently. Daily Reality NG uses AI-assisted tools for research, drafting, HTML production, and SEO optimisation. However, all factual claims, statistics, and source citations are independently verified by Samson Ese against primary sources before publication. AI-generated statistics that cannot be traced to a verifiable primary source are not published. Every article is held to the same sourcing standards regardless of which tools were used in its production. The author's name on every article reflects personal accountability for its content.
How current is the information on Daily Reality NG?
Articles on Daily Reality NG display both the original publication date and the most recent update date at the top of every article. Time-sensitive content covering CBN policy, inflation, broadband statistics, fintech regulation, and health data is updated when the underlying data changes. Where the most current data available is older than 6 months for a rapidly-changing metric, this limitation is explicitly noted in the article. The update date visible on every article reflects actual content changes — not auto-updating timestamps.
Why does Daily Reality NG sometimes publish two different figures for the same metric?
When credible independent sources report different figures for the same metric — which happens frequently in Nigerian broadband statistics, health prevalence data, and economic indicators — Daily Reality NG publishes both figures with their respective sources and explains the methodological differences behind the discrepancy. This is more useful to the reader than arbitrarily choosing one figure. Averaging conflicting figures or selecting the more dramatic one for impact are both practices Daily Reality NG avoids. See the Digital Inclusion and Mental Wellbeing articles for examples of this approach applied to broadband penetration and mental health prevalence figures respectively.
How does Daily Reality NG treat Nigerian government announcements?
Nigerian government data is used as a primary source but treated critically. Government target announcements are reported as targets, not achievements. Where the government claims to have met a target, Daily Reality NG verifies the claim against the original target and reports the gap if one exists. Government data that conflicts with independent research results in both figures being published with their sources. Policy commitments are tracked in future article updates against actual implementation — not treated as achieved simply because they were announced.
📚 Read What These Standards Produced
Every article on Daily Reality NG was built using the sourcing methodology described on this page. Start with the story of how this publication was built — and then explore 680+ articles across Nigerian finance, fintech, law, health, and digital life.
📑 Related Transparency & Trust Pages
Samson Ese
Founder & Editor-in-Chief — Daily Reality NG, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
This page was written by me, personally. It documents standards I apply to my own work and hold myself accountable to publicly. If you find an article on this site that violates any of the standards described here — wrong source, broken link, undated statistic, uncorrected error — I want to know. That email address is real and it reaches me. The standards on this page are not aspirational values displayed for optics. They are the operational rules by which I decide what to publish and what not to. — Samson Ese, May 2026
© 2025–2026 Daily Reality NG | Founded October 26, 2025 by Samson Ese | Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
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