The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Division under its ICT Department.
Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to INEC, the decision was taken at its regular meeting which considered the increasing relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to elections and electoral activities in Nigeria and across the world.
Speaking on specific benefits of deployment of AI, Olumekun said INEC hopes “to utilise its benefits for data-driven decision-making, risk detection and mitigation, deepening voter services automation and geo-spatial intelligence in support of logistic optimisation for better material distribution and polling unit allocation.”
Olumekun maintained that the department “will enable the Commission to better coordinate and maximise existing technology investments through centralised AI governance. It will also enhance decision-making through data-driven insights, risk management, and voter engagement. Furthermore, it will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation, and intelligent safeguards.
“This initiative puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within our ICT infrastructure.
“It is also an important step in our ongoing reform of the electoral process in areas that only require administrative action by the Commission.”
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