INEC partners NOA on grassroots campaign to fight voter apathy

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is forging a stronger partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to tackle voter apathy and misinformation. The collaboration is crucial as the nation gears up for the 2027 General Election.

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To me, this is not a routine visit; it is a vital meeting of minds and a reunion of two institutions constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of educating Nigerians on democratic culture.

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan stressed that technological improvements in the electoral process will only be effective if citizens understand and trust the system. "We can purchase the finest Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines... But all of these technological and administrative triumphs mean nothing if the citizens remain detached, uninformed, cynical, or completely uneducated about the power of their votes," he stated.

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INEC cannot build a robust democracy in isolation. We can purchase the finest Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, we can optimise the INEC Result Viewing Portal to international standards, and we can map out the most logistical routes for material deployment. But all of these technological and administrative triumphs mean nothing if the citizens remain detached, uninformed, cynical, or completely uneducated about the power of their votes.

The partnership aims to co-create a decentralized, grassroots voter education campaign. This initiative will go beyond merely informing citizens about election dates. It will focus on teaching them why their votes matter and how recent legal and technological reforms safeguard their choices. Amupitan wants to reassure Nigerians that electoral reforms have significantly strengthened election integrity.

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We need to co-create a decentralized, grassroots voter education campaign that goes beyond simply telling people when to vote. We need to teach them why their vote matters and how our new legal and technological safeguards protect their choices.

"We must look the rural farmer, the marketplace woman, and the disillusioned urban youth in the eye and explain to them, in the language they understand, that because of the current technological infrastructure, the era of snatching ballot boxes or rewriting results manually is gone," he said. Amupitan cited the February Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the June Ekiti State governorship election as examples of improved election administration, noting over 90 percent early opening of polling units in both.

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We must look the rural farmer, the marketplace woman, and the disillusioned urban youth in the eye and explain to them, in the language they understand, that because of the current technological infrastructure, the era of snatching ballot boxes or rewriting results manually is gone.