KEY POINTS
• Technology stakeholders want digital systems embedded permanently in Nigeria’s election management.
• They call for stronger local expertise, connectivity and cybersecurity ahead of 2027.
• Stakeholders say reliable physical infrastructure is also essential to digital election systems.
MAIN STORY
Technology should become a permanent part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture rather than an election cycle procurement exercise, stakeholders in the technology sector have said.
They made the call on Thursday at the 2026 Nigerian e Government Summit and Awards Night in Lagos, where discussions focused on the use of technology in election management ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders said sustained investment in digital infrastructure, local technical capacity and cybersecurity would be necessary if technology was to improve confidence, credibility and security in elections.
Dr Emmanuel Ayoola, President of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), said the technology industry was prepared to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in strengthening its systems before the 2027 elections.
He said Nigeria needed to develop and retain local expertise, including engineers and data scientists capable of building and maintaining electoral technologies.
Ayoola also identified artificial intelligence and blockchain as technologies that could support electoral auditing, provided they were deployed within systems that guaranteed accountability and reliability.
He said protecting voters from misinformation and fraudulent digital platforms was equally important, proposing a “trust architecture” around election related online services.
According to him, measures such as Domain Name System Security Extensions could help voters identify and access genuine electoral platforms.
Reliable connectivity was another concern raised at the summit. Dr Kenny Joda, an executive member of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said digital election systems would be ineffective without dependable telecommunications infrastructure.
He called for connectivity to reach rural communities as well as urban centres and urged INEC, government agencies, telecommunications companies and security organisations to work together.
Prince Oyekanmi Elegushi, General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), said digital election systems also depended on physical infrastructure, including fibre networks and stable electricity.
He said LASIMRA’s Duct One initiative, which allows several networks to use shared underground ducts, had supported investment of about $22 million in infrastructure covering approximately 30,000 kilometres of fibre ducts across strategic areas of Lagos.
According to Elegushi, the shared network infrastructure could help telecommunications operators provide the connectivity required for electoral activities in 2027.
Mr Kunle Olurundare, President of the Internet Society Nigeria Chapter, stressed the importance of protecting information integrity as part of efforts to build public confidence in digital election systems.
The summit convener, Mr Lanre Ajayi, said the event was designed to encourage government and private sector stakeholders to move technology from isolated pilot projects into practical systems supporting public services and elections.
He said discussions would cover areas including biometric registration, electronic transmission of results and voter authentication, while maintaining transparency and accountability.
THE ISSUES
Technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections. Its effectiveness depends on the infrastructure supporting it, the people maintaining the systems, the security protecting them and the public’s ability to distinguish legitimate electoral information from false or malicious content.
The urban rural connectivity gap is another challenge. If digital election services are unavailable or unreliable outside major cities, technology could widen rather than reduce inequalities in access to electoral information and services.
The stakeholders’ emphasis on permanent investment also points to the need for election technology to be developed, tested and secured continuously instead of being introduced mainly as elections approach.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“We need sustained local capacity involving engineers and data scientists to develop and maintain technologies required for credible elections.” – Emmanuel Ayoola
“Our objective is not merely to enforce compliance, but to establish a balanced regulatory environment in which aviation safety and financial protection complement each other.” – Chris Najomo
“Digital transformation remained a shared responsibility among government, industry, civil society and citizens.” – Lanre Ajayi
WHAT’S NEXT
Stakeholders are expected to continue discussions around biometric registration, voter authentication, electronic transmission of results, connectivity, cybersecurity and information integrity as preparations for the 2027 elections progress.
BOTTOM LINE
Technology stakeholders want Nigeria to move away from treating election technology as something acquired only during election periods. They say sustained investment in infrastructure, local expertise, connectivity and cybersecurity is needed to make digital election systems more reliable and trusted.
