Nigeria Not Technologically Ready for Real-Time Election Result Transmission — NICO Chief

Nigeria Not Technologically Ready for Real-Time Election Result Transmission — NICO Chief

Nigeria is not technologically prepared to implement real-time transmission of election results, the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Abiodun Ajiboye, has said. He cited infrastructure deficits, poor network coverage, and unreliable power supply as major hurdles that make nationwide electronic result transmission impractical at present.

Ajiboye made the remarks during an interview on ARISE NEWS, explaining that electronic voting and real-time transmission of results require a reliable digital and energy ecosystem, which Nigeria currently lacks. “Transmitting election results electronically is the function of the manner of voting,” he said. “We can’t even afford it. Even if we wish to, we can’t afford it.”

He also highlighted concerns about telecommunications capabilities and network reach, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Ajiboye warned that previous attacks on the INEC server, which recorded more than a million attempts to breach it, underscore the cybersecurity challenges inherent in such a system.

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According to Ajiboye, while some parts of the electoral process, such as scanning results for upload, can be digitized, the combination of manual voting and limited electronic infrastructure makes full-scale real-time transmission currently unfeasible. “A man is only able to do what he is capable of,” he noted.

Experts outside NICO have expressed similar concerns. Former INEC National Commissioner Mustapha Lecky emphasized that Nigeria remains heavily reliant on manual vote counting and paper ballots, and that pushing for real-time electronic results without robust nationwide internet coverage and power reliability could trigger technological failures and legal disputes.

The debate over real-time transmission has intensified following discussions on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, which initially included a clause to mandate real-time transmission but was removed by the Senate. Senate President Godswill Akpabio justified the decision, citing that more than nine states lack adequate network coverage due to infrastructure gaps and security challenges, reinforcing the argument that the country is not yet ready.

Civil society organizations, including Nigeria Integrity Watch, have warned that mandating real-time electronic transmission without addressing core infrastructure issues could disenfranchise voters in rural and hard-to-reach areas. As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, these technological readiness concerns remain central to discussions on electoral transparency, credibility, and digital reforms.

Nigeria Not Technologically Ready for Real-Time Election Result Transmission — NICO Chief