The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is exploring and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve election result management and reduce errors ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The technology is expected to help verify election result figures, identify discrepancies between electronically entered data and scanned polling unit result sheets, and prevent inconsistent records from being uploaded to the commission’s result viewing portal.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this on Thursday, October 22, during the launch of the AI for Elections Programme and Hackathon organised by Rise Networks in Abuja.
Bayode explained that the proposed system would compare figures entered electronically with those on scanned result sheets before allowing transmission.
He said discrepancies must be resolved before affected results could be uploaded, adding that the process was designed to improve accuracy, reduce human error and strengthen transparency.
The commission is also exploring other applications of AI, including voter information services, electoral data management, operational efficiency and the detection of misinformation.
Bayode, however, stressed that technological innovation must not undermine electoral security or public confidence in the electoral process. He urged developers working on election-related projects to use publicly available information or data they had been authorised to access.
Meanwhile, Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, warned that AI-generated misinformation could threaten public confidence in elections.
She identified manipulated videos, cloned images and artificially generated voices as growing challenges that could make it difficult for voters to distinguish authentic information from fabricated content.
Dada stressed that voters’ decisions depended on the information they trusted, making the integrity of election-related information critical to credible polls.
She added that AI could also help combat misinformation, verify content, improve digital literacy and make civic information accessible in different languages.
Dada said Meta labels AI-generated content and requires advertisers to disclose the use of AI when it significantly alters political advertisements.
She also highlighted the company’s partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and Publica AI on GovGuide Nigeria, an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide government information in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The convener of the programme, Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, said the initiative was designed to translate discussions about AI and elections into practical solutions for challenges affecting Nigeria’s electoral process.
She said the programme builds on Run-Am, an AI application previously used to identify misinformation and support fact-checking during the 2023 general elections.
The initiative comprises a national hackathon, an AI Innovations Development Hub and a Community of Practice.
Its focus areas include access to reliable electoral information, election data analysis, multilingual civic technology, cybersecurity, election observation and citizen accountability.
According to the organisers, participants are expected to develop functional technology solutions rather than submit proposals alone.
Nigerians aged 18 and above can apply individually or in teams of up to four members. Applications opened on October 22 and will close on November 12, 2026.
The programme offers a total prize pool of ₦10 million. The overall winner will receive ₦4 million, while the runner-up will receive ₦2.5 million and the third-place entrant ₦1.5 million.
Four additional special awards of ₦500,000 each will also be presented.
The initiative is expected to encourage Nigerian innovators to develop technology-driven solutions that strengthen electoral transparency, improve access to credible information and promote accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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