The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communication Technology Department.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, following the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

The creation of the AI Division comes after INEC’s participation in several continental conferences addressing the impact of AI on electoral processes.

The Commission acknowledged the dual nature of AI, recognising both the risks it poses—such as the spread of misinformation and content manipulation—and the opportunities it presents in data-driven decision-making, risk management, service automation, and geo-spatial intelligence.

“The Commission convened its regular weekly meeting on Thursday, 22 May 2025, where it considered the growing significance of Artificial Intelligence in elections and electoral activities both in Nigeria and globally.

“Recently, the Commission engaged with colleagues across Africa in conferences focused on AI’s impact on elections. These discussions highlighted concerns about AI’s potential misuse to disseminate fake news or manipulate online content, as well as its benefits in enhancing data-driven decision-making, risk detection and mitigation, voter service automation, and logistical optimisation through geo-spatial intelligence,” the statement read in part.
INEC emphasised that the new division will harness AI to improve logistical planning, material distribution, and polling unit allocation, thereby enhancing the integrity and efficiency of elections through predictive analytics and intelligent automation.
Centralising AI governance will enable better coordination of technological resources and contribute to a more credible and transparent electoral process.

“Accordingly, the Commission approved the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Division under the ICT Department to maximise the positive potential of AI while mitigating its adverse effects on elections.

“This Division will facilitate improved coordination of existing technology investments through centralised AI governance, enhance decision-making via data-driven insights and risk management, and strengthen voter engagement.

“Furthermore, it will bolster electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation, and intelligent safeguards.

“This initiative positions the Commission at the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within its ICT infrastructure and represents a significant step in ongoing electoral reforms that require administrative action by the Commission,” the statement concluded.