The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has raised concerns over the welfare and remuneration of commission staff, saying INEC workers are among the least-paid employees in the country.
Amupitan made the remarks as the electoral commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections and seeks stronger institutional and financial support to carry out its responsibilities.
The chairman has repeatedly highlighted staff welfare and the need to strengthen INEC’s operational capacity as part of efforts to ensure the commission is adequately prepared for the elections.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) confirmed in July that it was working with INEC on the implementation of an approved remuneration package for the commission’s personnel. RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Bello Shehu said the process would require consultation with relevant stakeholders and, where necessary, legislative action to ensure compliance with existing laws.
The issue of remuneration comes against the backdrop of INEC’s wider financial requirements ahead of the 2027 elections.
While defending its 2026 budget before the National Assembly earlier this year, INEC said its proposed expenditure for the year was about N171 billion, including N109 billion for personnel costs. The commission also projected that it would require about N873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan has also called for the timely release of outstanding funds allocated to the commission, warning that adequate financing would be critical to the smooth implementation of its preparations for the elections.
Speaking at a world press conference on Tuesday, the INEC chairman said the commission needed robust financial backing and fiscal discipline to execute an election of the scale expected in 2027.
He said funds already released had enabled INEC to meet international vendor obligations, finance election technology, upgrade infrastructure and sustain operational deployments, but added that the commission was still awaiting the release of outstanding budgetary allocations.
Beyond funding, the commission has embarked on several preparations for the 2027 elections, including the procurement of 57,000 additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, construction of dedicated BVAS storage facilities, renovation of offices and upgrades to its information and communications technology infrastructure.
The welfare of permanent and temporary election personnel remains an important component of those preparations. INEC’s official recruitment portal, for example, lists several categories of ad-hoc election personnel and specifies eligibility requirements for positions including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers and Registration Area Centre managers.
Amupitan’s comments therefore place staff remuneration within the broader debate over the resources required to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral institutions.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the commission is expected to continue discussions with government agencies over funding, personnel welfare and other operational requirements.
While Amupitan described INEC workers as among the country’s least-paid employees, official salary records do not by themselves establish a comprehensive ranking showing that INEC staff are definitively the lowest-paid workers across Nigeria. The statement is therefore best understood as the chairman’s assessment of the commission’s remuneration situation.
For INEC, improving staff welfare is part of the wider effort to build the institutional capacity needed to organise credible elections and maintain public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.