Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology sector on Thursday called for the mainstreaming of technology in election management to strengthen trust, credibility and security ahead of the 2027 elections.
They made the call at the 2026 Nigerian e-Government Summit and Awards Night in Lagos, with the theme: “Mainstreaming Technologies in Nigeria Election Management.”
The stakeholders said that election technology should no longer be treated as a seasonal procurement exercise undertaken every four years.
They advocated for sustained investment in digital infrastructure, local expertise and cybersecurity to ensure effective and credible election management.
Dr Emmanuel Ayoola, the President, Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), said that the technology industry was ready to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in strengthening its systems ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ayoola said that Nigeria needed sustained local capacity involving engineers and data scientists to develop and maintain technologies required for credible elections.
He said that emerging technologies, including blockchain and artificial intelligence, could support transparent electoral auditing when deployed within a reliable and accountable framework.
The ITAN president also said that there was the need for a “trust architecture” to protect citizens from misinformation and malicious redirection when accessing election-related information online.
He identified Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) as one of the measures that could help ensure that citizens reached authentic digital platforms during the electoral process.
Dr Kenny Joda, Executive Member, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said that reliable connectivity remained critical to the successful deployment of digital election technologies.
Joda said that connectivity must extend beyond major cities to rural communities, stressing the need for collaboration among INEC, government, telecommunications operators and security agencies.
He said that cybersecurity and data protection should be treated as fundamental components of election integrity rather than technical afterthoughts.
Prince Oyekanmi Elegushi, the General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), said that digital elections depended not only on software but also on physical infrastructure such as fibre-optic networks and reliable power.
Elegushi said that LASIMRA’s “Duct One” initiative was designed to accommodate multiple networks in shared underground ducts, reducing repeated road excavations and disruptions to connectivity.
He said that the initiative had facilitated about $22 million in investment toward developing approximately 30,000 kilometres of fibre duct infrastructure across strategic corridors in Lagos.
According to him, the shared infrastructure can help telecommunications operators provide reliable connectivity for electoral traffic, including the 2027 elections.
The President, Internet Society Nigeria Chapter, Mr Kunle Olurundare, said that protecting information integrity was essential to building public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Olurundare urged stakeholders to harmonise their approaches to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities that could undermine trust in digital election systems.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Convener, e-Government Summit, Mr Lanre Ajayi, said that the summit provided a platform for government and private-sector stakeholders to translate technology into practical improvements in public service delivery.
Ajayi said that the summit was intended to move technology beyond pilot projects into an integrated and trusted component of Nigeria’s electoral architecture.
He said that discussions would examine biometric registration, electronic transmission of results and voter authentication, among other technologies, while ensuring transparency and accountability.
Ajayi said that digital transformation remained a shared responsibility among government, industry, civil society and citizens, in spite challenges including infrastructure gaps, cybersecurity threats and the urban-rural digital divide. (NAN)(NAN)
SKA/FON