The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has urged electoral management bodies across West Africa to strengthen cybersecurity and promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to safeguard electoral integrity and public confidence.
Amupitan made the call in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), following the adoption of regional guidelines on the application of AI in electoral processes.
He said electoral institutions must recognise AI’s growing influence and establish safeguards against its misuse while protecting electoral systems from cyber threats.
The INEC chairman noted that although concerns about the risks associated with AI were understandable, the technology had become part of everyday digital systems, making it essential for electoral bodies to understand and regulate its applications.
AI in Electoral Administration
Amupitan identified voter registration and public information services as areas where AI could improve electoral administration.
He explained that AI-powered systems could enable electoral commissions to respond more quickly to citizens’ enquiries by providing relevant information and answers to frequently asked questions.
However, he stressed the need for effective security measures to protect young people and other vulnerable users from digital manipulation.
Amupitan said the adoption of the guidelines was timely as Nigeria prepared for the 2027 general election.
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He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to collaborating with ECONEC and other regional partners to strengthen electoral administration.
He identified electronic transmission of results, records management, logistics, risk assessment, personnel training and election planning as areas requiring closer cooperation among electoral commissions in the sub-region.
The INEC chairman also called for preventive regulations for political parties to promote compliance and reduce electoral disputes.
ECONEC Explains AI Guidelines
Earlier, the leader of the ECONEC delegation, Serigne Ka, said the mission was to finalise guidelines for the use of AI in elections.
Ka, who is Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC, said the initiative followed a symposium on AI and electoral integrity held in Dakar, Senegal, in November 2025.
He explained that participants at the symposium agreed to establish a working group to develop guidelines for electoral management bodies across West Africa.
According to him, the group subsequently held several sessions and prepared a draft document, which was validated at a two-day meeting in Abuja earlier in the week.
Ka said the guidelines had now been adopted, allowing member commissions to determine how best to apply them within their respective electoral systems.
He maintained that AI had become an enduring feature of modern society, adding that the priority should be to manage its application effectively rather than seek to avoid it.
He also called for support from the international community to facilitate the implementation of the guidelines across West Africa.
Ka conveyed the apologies of the newly elected ECONEC Chairman, Abdoulaye Sylla, who also chairs Senegal’s electoral commission, for his inability to attend the meeting.
He expressed hope that the guidelines would strengthen electoral processes across the sub-region.
