INEC Approves Creation Of AI Department To Check False Narratives

Ahead of the 2027 polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Division under its ICT Department to continue to harness the positive aspects of AI and mitigate its negative impact on elections.

This initiative, INEC said, has placed it in the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within its ICT infrastructure.

A statement issued by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said the approval was given at its weekly meeting in Abuja where the increasing relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to elections and electoral activities in Nigeria and across the world was considered.

According to him, the creation of AI Department is also an important step in the ongoing reform of the electoral process of the commission in areas that only require its administrative action.

The statement, titled “Creation of a Division on Artificial Intelligence by the Commission”, reads: “The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday May 22 2025. Among other issues, the meeting considered the increasing relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to elections and electoral activities in Nigeria and across the world.

“Recently, the commission attended several conferences with colleagues around the continent on the impact of AI on elections. These interactions were not only motivated by the concern over the use of AI to spread fake news or manipulate content online but also to utilise its benefits for data-driven decision-making, risk detection and mitigation, deepening voter services automation and geo-spatial intelligence in support of logistic optimisation for better material distribution and polling unit allocation.

“Consequently, the commission approved the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Division under the ICT Department to continue to harness the positive aspects of AI and mitigate its negative impact on elections.

“The Division will enable the commission to better coordinate and maximise existing technology investments through centralised AI governance. It will also enhance decision-making through data-driven insights, risk management and voter engagement.

“Furthermore, it will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation and intelligent safeguards. This initiative puts the commission in the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within our ICT infrastructure. It is also an important step in our ongoing reform of the electoral process in areas that only require administrative action by the commission.”