INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has warned that the successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in electoral administration will depend not only on technological sophistication but also on strong institutions, effective governance structures and safeguards.
Prof. Amupitan made the remarks on Thursday, September 10, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada, while addressing the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections.
The INEC Chairman presented Nigeria’s experience and lessons in institutionalising responsible AI for electoral administration. He was accompanied by the Director of Information and Communication TeAJchnology (ICT), Dr. Lawrence Bayode.
INEC Chairman Highlights AI’s Growing Role in Elections
Prof. Amupitan said the increasing influence of algorithms and data architectures on democratic processes had made responsible technological innovation an important priority for election management bodies.
He noted that Nigeria had progressively deployed technology to improve the credibility and efficiency of its electoral processes.
Among the technologies highlighted were the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and Automated Biometrics Identification System (ABIS).
According to the INEC Chairman, these innovations have helped reduce human error and manual interference in the electoral process.
Prof. Amupitan noted that the scale of Nigeria’s electoral operations makes technology essential to modern election administration.
He disclosed that Nigeria has more than 93 million registered voters, approximately 180,000 polling units and about 185,000 BVAS devices, with elections conducted simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The INEC Chairman, however, cautioned against adopting AI simply because the technology is available.
He stressed that AI adoption must be based on measurable improvements in electoral administration, public service delivery and public confidence.
“AI must strengthen electoral integrity, improve public service, and always remain under human control,” the Chairman stated.
Prof. Amupitan also outlined the legal framework supporting the deployment of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.
He referenced the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Electoral Act 2026, INEC Regulations, Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and Cybercrimes Act 2024.
The INEC Chairman particularly highlighted provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 covering the voters’ register, electronic voting devices, biometric accreditation, electronic transmission of results and the use of accreditation and transmitted results during the collation and declaration of election results.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had commenced institutional preparations for the responsible adoption of AI rather than treating the technology merely as an ICT project.
He said the Commission had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within the ICT Department; developed an AI Roadmap for phased adoption; developed an AI Governance Framework currently undergoing internal approval; commenced AI literacy and technical capacity building among staff; and adopted a multidisciplinary approach involving ICT, Operations, Legal, Voter Education, Risk Management and other departments.
Prof. Amupitan identified five key principles guiding INEC’s AI initiatives: He identified five principles guiding INEC’s AI initiatives: human oversight; transparency and accountability; data protection and privacy; cybersecurity and risk management; and operational value and public trust.
He stressed that AI would function as an aid to election officials and would not replace human responsibility for electoral decision-making.
Giving an insight into one of INEC’s AI initiatives, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had introduced an intelligent Results Management process designed to assist officials in identifying discrepancies in election result records.
The initiative reflects INEC’s broader approach of using emerging technology to support electoral officials while retaining human oversight and accountability.
The INEC Chairman’s remarks in Ottawa reinforce the Commission’s position that the responsible use of AI in elections should be driven by institutional preparedness, strong safeguards and the need to strengthen public confidence in democratic processes.
