By Boluwatife Oshadiya | February 23, 2026
Key Points
- Nigeria’s electronic transmission of election results continues to face network blackspots in rural and semi-urban communities
- Billions of naira have been appropriated for ICT infrastructure, yet connectivity gaps persist during major elections
- NCC and INEC have formal collaboration frameworks, but implementation challenges remain uneven across states
- Experts say the “faulty transmission” narrative is partly myth and partly infrastructure deficit
Nigeria’s push toward credible, technology-driven elections is once again under scrutiny as persistent network coverage gaps raise concerns over the electronic transmission of results across parts of the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced electronic transmission to strengthen transparency, reduce manual collation disputes, and improve public trust in the electoral process. Yet, during recent electoral cycles, reports of delayed uploads, offline polling units, and inconsistent connectivity in remote areas have fueled debate over whether Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure is fit for nationwide digital result transmission.
Under the Electoral Act 2022, INEC is empowered to electronically transmit results directly from polling units to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, transmission depends largely on existing mobile broadband networks regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and operated by licensed telecom providers.
Budget documents reviewed by BizWatch Nigeria show that INEC received significant ICT allocations in successive electoral cycles to support technology deployment, connectivity solutions, and backend server capacity. The commission has also repeatedly stated that network assessments are conducted ahead of elections in collaboration with telecom operators.
Despite this, coverage gaps remain evident in hard-to-reach rural communities where 3G and 4G penetration is weak. Industry data suggests that while Nigeria’s overall broadband penetration has improved significantly over the past decade, geographic coverage remains uneven, particularly in riverine, mountainous, and insurgency-affected regions.
Telecom operators maintain that result transmission relies on the same infrastructure used by ordinary consumers. Where there is no commercial coverage, real-time upload becomes technically constrained.
This has led to a broader policy question: Is the challenge technological failure, insufficient infrastructure investment, or public misunderstanding of how electronic transmission actually works?
The Issues
1. Infrastructure vs. Expectation Gap
Nigeria’s broadband rollout has expanded rapidly under the National Broadband Plan, yet population coverage does not automatically translate to terrain coverage. Many polling units are located in remote villages where network signals fluctuate or are entirely absent.
While INEC can deploy offline upload capabilities—allowing results to be transmitted once connectivity becomes available—public expectations often assume instantaneous, universal uploads.
2. Funding and Accountability
Over multiple budget cycles, billions of naira have been appropriated for election technology infrastructure. These allocations cover BVAS devices, server architecture, cloud storage, cybersecurity, and connectivity logistics.
However, connectivity itself is not owned by INEC. It depends on private telecom infrastructure regulated by the NCC. This creates a structural limitation: even with sufficient ICT funding, transmission is only as strong as the network available in each polling location.
3. NCC–INEC Partnership Framework
The NCC and INEC have maintained a formal inter-agency collaboration, including pre-election technical assessments, mapping of polling units against telecom coverage grids, and engagement with mobile network operators to prioritise election-day network stability.
However, telecom experts note that regulatory coordination does not automatically equate to infrastructure expansion. Building base transceiver stations (BTS) in commercially unviable rural zones requires significant capital expenditure and, often, government-backed incentives.
4. The “Faulty Transmission” Narrative
The widespread belief that result transmission systems are inherently faulty is only partially accurate. Analysts argue that what is often described as a “system failure” may instead be a localised connectivity issue rather than a breakdown of the central server or BVAS device.
Distinguishing between hardware malfunction, server congestion, and network blackout is critical to understanding the true source of delays.
What’s Being Said
• INEC (Official Clarification on Result Transmission — February 18, 2026)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clarified in an official statement that results are transmitted electronically after voting and manual signing at polling units, not in literal “real time” while votes are being cast. The commission said reports suggesting otherwise misrepresented the chairman’s remarks during a pre‑election visit in the Federal Capital Territory. INEC reaffirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is capable of uploading and transmitting results once procedures at the polling unit are complete.
• INEC Chairman on Connectivity Challenges (November 19, 2025)
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, acknowledged that while BVAS has improved Nigeria’s result transmission framework, poor telecommunications connectivity remains a significant obstacle to seamless uploads to the Result Viewing Portal (IReV). He made this statement at the Digital Nigeria International Conference in Abuja, noting that uneven network coverage continues to impede real‑time result upload from some locations.
• Mobile Network Operators / ALTON Position (February 2026)
Representatives of the major telecom operators — including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 Mobile (formerly 9mobile) — speaking through the umbrella body Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), asserted that Nigeria’s network infrastructure is capable of supporting electronic transmission of polling‑unit results. They urged the National Assembly to rely on verified data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), noting that 70 %+ national coverage exists on 3G/4G networks and that 2G is sufficient to transmit result data where higher bands are unavailable. ALTON stated that security challenges affecting mast maintenance in certain regions should be addressed collaboratively, not used to disqualify e‑transmission nationwide.
• Senate Leader on Infrastructure (Statement on National Readiness — February 15, 2026)
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele publicly stated that Nigeria lacks the communications and power infrastructure required for mandatory real‑time electronic transmission of results from all polling units nationwide. Citing data attributed to the Nigerian Communications Commission, he noted that broadband penetration and network reliability lag global peers, and argued that power shortfalls compound connectivity challenges, making compulsory real‑time transmission unfeasible.
• Civil Society / Expert Position on Readiness (Africa Development Studies Centre — February 10, 2026)
Victor Oluwafemi, President of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC), released a documented expert statement cautioning that Nigeria is not structurally ready for nationwide real‑time electronic transmission. He highlighted network coverage gaps, uneven electricity supply, and systemic readiness issues as factors that could undermine credibility if real‑time requirements are enforced without adequate infrastructure.
• Former REC & Electoral Expert Commentary (Mike Igini)
Former Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini publicly criticised the Senate’s handling of electronic transmission debates, warning that making manual transmission the fallback could become the norm and regress the electoral process. His remarks were documented in election coverage following the Senate’s amendment of relevant clauses in the Electoral Act.
• National Assembly Discourse (INEC Report Confirmation)
In official reports referenced in recent coverage, INEC documented its long‑standing engagement with the NCC and mobile network operators, including allocating polling units to Airtel, Glo, 9Mobile, and MTN for transmission services and detailing cost implications, SIM provisioning, APN/VPN integration, and data‑bucket allocations per operator — indicating institutional planning rather than reactive speculation.
Summary of Documented Positions
• INEC’s official stance is that e‑transmission occurs after voting and signing, and connectivity remains the key operational hurdle.
• Telecom operators collectively maintain current infrastructure is capable but regional gaps and security impediments must be addressed.
• The Senate leadership’s position highlights nationwide infrastructure limitations that make mandatory real‑time transmission premature.
• Independent experts and civil society call for infrastructural readiness benchmarks rather than electoral mandates that could strain the system.
What’s Next
- The NCC is expected to release updated broadband penetration and coverage data ahead of the next general election cycle
- Stakeholders have called for a joint public technical audit of election-day transmission performance
- Discussions are ongoing about expanding satellite backup connectivity for remote polling units
- The National Assembly may revisit ICT funding structures to ring-fence connectivity logistics specifically for elections
The Bottom Line:
Nigeria’s election transmission controversy is less about broken technology and more about uneven digital infrastructure. Until telecom coverage becomes universally reliable across rural and semi-urban terrain, electronic transmission will continue to face operational limits — and public trust will remain vulnerable to both real gaps and exaggerated myths.
