In a landmark move ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division under its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department, a strategic step aimed at harnessing AI for electoral efficiency while combating the rising threat of disinformation.
The decision was made during the commission’s weekly meeting on Thursday, May 22, 2025, where members reviewed the growing global influence of AI on election processes.
In a statement issued by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the commission said the new division positions INEC at the forefront of electoral innovation in Africa.
“This initiative places INEC ahead in institutionalising AI within its ICT infrastructure,” Olumekun stated, adding that the division will play a central role in both defending electoral integrity and modernising voter services.
The newly approved AI Division will not only serve as a bulwark against the use of AI to manipulate digital content or spread misinformation — a growing global concern — but will also help optimise INEC’s internal operations.
Olumekun explained that the commission has been actively engaging with counterparts across Africa at various conferences focused on the implications of AI in electoral contexts.
“These conversations have emphasized AI’s dual nature,” he noted. “While it can be weaponised to distort facts, it also offers immense potential in areas such as predictive analytics, logistics planning, voter engagement, and risk detection.”
Among the division’s key functions will be: Enhancing transparency through data-driven decision-making, Improving material distribution and polling unit allocation via geo-spatial intelligence, Automating voter services, Mitigating risks through real-time monitoring and AI-driven content verification, A Step Toward Institutional Reform.
The move is being hailed by analysts as part of INEC’s broader reform strategy — one that focuses on administrative innovation without requiring legislative changes.
“This is a forward-thinking shift that brings INEC in line with international best practices,” said Dr. Ifeoma Nwosu, a political technology researcher at the University of Lagos. “AI will increasingly shape the way elections are contested and monitored, and Nigeria can’t afford to lag behind.”
Comparatively, countries like India, Brazil, and even South Africa have begun deploying AI tools for electoral data analysis, voter behavior prediction, and misinformation tracking — areas INEC now appears poised to enter.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, the commission says it is committed to reinforcing public trust through transparency and technology. The new AI Division is expected to be fully operational within the coming months, complementing ongoing upgrades to Nigeria’s election infrastructure.
