Nigeria's Election Commission Integrates AI for 2027 Polls Amid Unfinished Governance Framework

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is actively developing and integrating artificial intelligence tools to enhance the integrity of the 2027 general elections. These AI applications are primarily designed for two critical functions: auditing election results by flagging inconsistencies between digitized polling unit forms and voter accreditation data from BVAS devices, and bolstering cybersecurity through anomaly detection to protect electoral portals from intrusion.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan clarified that these AI tools will not independently determine election results but will serve as a support system for human officials to review flagged discrepancies. The commission has an AI roadmap and a dedicated AI division, and has engaged with international tech partners like Microsoft and Google on these initiatives.

However, a significant concern highlighted by public criticism and observers is that while the AI tools are being integrated, the comprehensive governance framework to guide their ethical and effective use is still under finalization. This framework is intended to cover principles such as human oversight, transparency, data protection, cybersecurity, and public trust. Critics argue that deploying AI without fully established guardrails poses potential risks to the electoral process.

The effectiveness of these AI tools also depends on the reliability of existing electoral technology like BVAS and IReV, which have shown mixed performance in past elections, including technical issues and upload interruptions. Furthermore, Nigeria's broader AI regulatory landscape remains unclear, with a proposed digital economy bill that could impact AI governance reportedly awaiting presidential assent.