Author: Gist Correspondent

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve election result management and minimise errors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission said AI-powered tools could help verify result figures, improve processing efficiency and ensure that electronically transmitted results correspond with records from polling units.

INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the launch of Rise Networks’ AI for Elections Programme and Hackathon in Abuja.

Bayode said the commission was examining practical applications of AI while putting safeguards in place to protect electoral processes.

He explained that one proposed application would verify result figures before electronic transmission by comparing entries with paper result sheets and scanned copies.

According to him, the system would prevent transmission where discrepancies were detected until they had been resolved.

He, however, cautioned that technological innovations must not undermine electoral security. He also advised developers working on election-related projects to use only publicly available information or data they were authorised to access.

Meanwhile, Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, warned that the increasing use of AI to generate misleading content posed a threat to public confidence in elections.

Dada said manipulated videos, cloned images and artificially generated voices were making it increasingly difficult for citizens to distinguish genuine information from fabricated content.

She stressed that voters’ decisions depended largely on the information they trusted, making the integrity of election-related information crucial to the democratic process.

Dada, however, noted that AI could also strengthen electoral integrity by supporting content verification, promoting digital literacy and making civic information available in different languages.

She said Meta labels AI-generated content and requires advertisers to disclose the use of AI when it significantly alters political advertisements.

She also highlighted Meta’s collaboration 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 that provides government information in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

The programme’s convener, Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, said the initiative was designed to translate discussions about AI and elections into practical solutions to challenges confronting Nigeria’s electoral process.

She noted that the initiative builds on Run-Am, an AI application previously deployed to identify misinformation and support fact-checking during the 2023 general elections.

The programme will feature 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 accountability.

Organisers said participants would be expected to develop functional technological 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 initiative offers a total prize pool of ₦10 million. The winner will receive ₦4 million, while the runner-up will get ₦2.5 million and the third-place entrant ₦1.5 million.

Four additional special awards of ₦500,000 each will also be presented.