{"id":119101,"date":"2025-05-23T17:32:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T16:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=119101"},"modified":"2025-05-23T17:32:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T16:32:37","slug":"inec-establishes-ai-division-to-bolster-election-integrity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/inec-establishes-ai-division-to-bolster-election-integrity\/","title":{"rendered":"INEC Establishes AI Division to Bolster Election Integrity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department as part of efforts to leverage technological innovation for credible elections while addressing its potential risks.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move was revealed in Abuja on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Olumekun explained that the newly created division will enhance the Commission\u2019s capacity to coordinate its technology-driven initiatives through centralized AI oversight, enabling more efficient use of its digital infrastructure.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to him, the unit will support improved electoral outcomes by utilizing data analytics, enhancing risk management, and boosting voter interaction.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe AI Division will play a crucial role in strengthening electoral credibility by integrating predictive analytics, automated systems, and intelligent safeguards,\u201d Olumekun stated.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He further noted that the Commission\u2019s engagement with electoral bodies across Africa at recent conferences sparked the idea, driven by a shared concern over AI\u2019s misuse, such as the spread of misinformation, and its positive potential for advancing electoral operations.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThese discussions emphasized both the risks of AI manipulation and the opportunities it presents for informed decision-making, improved risk detection, and automated voter services. It also offers geospatial intelligence to optimize logistics and enhance polling unit management,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stressed that the initiative is a critical component of INEC\u2019s broader agenda to reform and modernize Nigeria\u2019s electoral process.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reacting to the development, Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, lauded INEC\u2019s decision, describing it as a forward-thinking measure that could significantly improve democratic governance.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cINEC\u2019s move to create an AI-focused division is timely and commendable, especially at a period when AI is being adopted globally to improve election management,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Itodo praised the Commission for leading innovation in Africa, stating that this marks the first time an electoral body on the continent is establishing such a unit.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He emphasized that AI can be used to detect anomalies in election results, combat misinformation, and ensure transparency.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe\u2019re hopeful that this division will develop AI solutions that safeguard data privacy and contribute meaningfully to enhancing electoral quality and, ultimately, democratic integrity,\u201d he concluded.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tracy Moses The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department as part of efforts to leverage&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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