The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division under its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process through technology.
The decision was reached during the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
According to a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the move follows INEC’s recent participation in several high-level conferences across Africa focused on the evolving role of AI in elections. The discussions highlighted both the risks posed by AI—particularly in spreading misinformation and manipulating content—and its potential to improve transparency and efficiency in electoral operations.
Olumekun noted that the new AI Division will help INEC harness the benefits of AI for data-driven decision-making, risk detection and mitigation, automated voter services, and the application of geospatial intelligence to optimise logistics and polling unit allocation.
“This initiative places the Commission at the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within our ICT infrastructure,” the statement read. “It is also an important step in our ongoing reform of the electoral process in areas that only require administrative action.”
The AI Division is expected to enhance the Commission’s ability to coordinate its technology assets through centralised governance, improve decision-making through predictive analytics, and strengthen electoral credibility through intelligent safeguards.
By integrating AI into its operations, INEC aims to further modernise Nigeria’s electoral system and build greater public trust in the democratic process.
