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INEC Launches AI Division to Transform Nigeria’s Electoral System

By Achimi Muktar

In a bold move to modernize Nigeria’s electoral system, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division under its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department.

The groundbreaking development, revealed in a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, marks a major leap forward in how Nigeria plans to administer and safeguard its elections in the digital age.

According to Mr. Olumekun, the AI Division was approved during INEC’s weekly meeting held Thursday in Abuja, after extensive deliberations on the increasing relevance of AI technologies to elections — both in Nigeria and globally.

“The commission considered the growing impact of AI in electoral processes across the world, particularly in areas like data-driven decision-making, voter engagement, and logistics optimisation,” he said.

From Fake News to Predictive Precision

Mr. Olumekun noted that INEC’s participation in recent continental conferences highlighted a dual challenge: the need to fight back against AI-powered disinformation and the opportunity to embrace AI’s potential in improving election credibility and operational efficiency.

“The interaction wasn’t just about the dangers of AI being used to spread fake news or manipulate online content. We saw how AI could enhance voter services, improve logistics through geo-spatial intelligence, and aid predictive analytics for better decision-making,” he explained.

What the New AI Division Will Do

The newly established AI Division is expected to serve as a centralized body for managing AI tools, aligning them with INEC’s broader ICT infrastructure and goals.

Among its core responsibilities:

Centralized AI governance to streamline and coordinate technological investments.

Enhanced data-driven insights for more informed decision-making.

Improved risk detection and mitigation during electoral cycles.

Automated logistics and polling unit optimization using geo-spatial data.

Strengthened voter engagement and trust through intelligent safeguards.

“This division allows us to institutionalize AI capabilities within INEC, supporting our ongoing reforms with a tech-forward approach,” Mr. Olumekun said.

INEC at the Cutting Edge

By establishing the AI Division, INEC positions itself as one of the first electoral bodies on the continent to integrate artificial intelligence at such a strategic level. The move is also seen as a step toward insulating Nigeria’s democratic process from the growing threats posed by digital manipulation and misinformation.

The commission reaffirmed that this initiative forms part of its administrative reforms — changes it can implement without legislative amendments — aimed at enhancing transparency, credibility, and public confidence in elections.

As the world watches how democracies evolve in the age of AI, Nigeria may now be charting a course others will follow.