By Tracy Moses
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have called for sustained, year-round civic and voter education as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The two agencies made the case on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, and his management team to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting focused on deepening collaboration to tackle voter apathy, misinformation, democratic illiteracy and declining public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Welcoming the delegation, Amupitan described the meeting as more than a routine engagement between government institutions, saying it reflected a shared constitutional responsibility to promote democratic values among Nigerians.
“In public service, we serve many constituencies. Many meetings are dictated by routine protocols and predictable responsibilities, but today’s visit feels entirely different. To me, this is not a routine visit. This is a vital meeting of minds and a reunion of institutions constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of educating Nigerians on democratic culture,” he said.
He stressed that while INEC had continued to improve election management through technological innovations, those efforts would have limited impact without a well-informed electorate that understands and trusts the electoral process.
“As we prepare for the 2027 general elections, it becomes immediately clear that INEC cannot build a robust democracy in isolation.
“We can procure a modern voter accreditation system. We can optimise the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to international standards. We can map out the most efficient logistics for election material deployment. But all these technological and administrative triumphs mean nothing if citizens remain detached, uninformed, cynical or completely uneducated about the power of their votes,” he added.
Drawing from his experience in academia, Amupitan recalled how substantial investments in information technology once failed to achieve the desired outcomes because users were not adequately trained.
“If you don’t invest in knowledge and capacity, all the technology in the world will amount to very little,” he said, adding that civic education must accompany every electoral innovation.
The INEC chairman described the NOA as the country’s foremost institution for civic orientation, noting that its extensive grassroots presence makes it uniquely positioned to shape public attitudes toward democratic participation.
“The National Orientation Agency is the custodian of the values that make democracy work. You speak the language of our people, you understand their local realities, and you know how to navigate the cultural nuances that shape public opinion,” he said.
Amupitan identified voter apathy and the spread of misinformation as major threats to credible elections, warning that false narratives continue to erode public confidence in the electoral process.
“We are battling a silent but dangerous enemy in our electoral cycle — voter apathy and cynicism.
“We also see a sophisticated, orchestrated wave of fake news and disinformation designed to make ordinary Nigerians believe that their votes will not count,” he added.
He cited instances in which recycled videos of election violence and fabricated claims about the electoral process were circulated online to discourage voter participation.
“Somebody decided to sit in the comfort of his room to manufacture mischief that erodes public confidence. People who were ready to vote suddenly began to wonder whether there was any point participating,” Amupitan noted.
According to him, voter education should go beyond announcing election dates to helping citizens understand electoral laws, technological safeguards and key electoral procedures, including voter registration, transfer of polling units and replacement of Permanent Voter Cards.
“We need to teach people not just when to vote, but why their vote matters and how our legal and technological safeguards protect their choices,” he stressed.
Amupitan also pointed to recent off-cycle elections in the Federal Capital Territory and Ekiti State as evidence of improvements in election administration, citing early deployment of personnel, efficient biometric accreditation through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and prompt uploading of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
“Administratively and technologically, the template is working. We need to spread this message, ” he stated.
Despite these gains, he noted that voter turnout remained relatively low, reinforcing the need for continuous civic engagement beyond election periods.
Speaking during the visit, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said civic and democratic education must become a continuous national exercise rather than an activity limited to election seasons.
“Education is not ad hoc. It has to be something that you do on a continuous basis,” he said.
Issa-Onilu said the 2023 general election exposed significant knowledge gaps among first-time voters, particularly members of Generation Z who participated in a national election for the first time.
“The last election, in particular, saw what we refer to as Gen Z come of age. But it came with its own drawbacks. We saw a huge gap in knowledge, and we found that very dangerous for us as a country,” he said.
He noted that post-election debates revealed widespread misunderstanding of constitutional provisions governing presidential elections and the judicial process that follows disputed polls.
“We need to let Nigerians understand the electoral process and even what happens after elections, including judicial processes. Many people are not aware of what actually goes on,” he added.
Issa-Onilu said the NOA’s nationwide structure—comprising 818 offices across the 774 local government areas, the 36 states, six zonal directorates and the Federal Capital Territory—places the agency in a strong position to sustain grassroots voter education.
He called for a stronger institutional partnership with INEC that would extend beyond election periods.
He also advocated greater investment in civic education, arguing that higher voter participation can only be achieved through sustained public enlightenment rather than campaigns launched only a few months before elections.
Both agencies agreed that restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process would require credible election management, effective strategic communication and continuous civic education to equip citizens with accurate information while countering misinformation.