INEC Unveils Digital Strategy to Combat AI Disinformation Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a comprehensive digital communication strategy aimed at combating misinformation and AI-generated disinformation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Election.

The Commission disclosed the plans at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, SAN, said the Commission had commenced extensive preparations for the 2027 polls, including an audit of its electoral technology infrastructure, system redundancy assessments, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning.

Adam also disclosed that INEC was considering conducting a mock presidential election to stress-test its technological systems before the general election.

According to him, the experience of the 2023 elections showed that although innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) improved transparency, technology alone could not guarantee public confidence.

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He said, “Technology alone cannot guarantee public trust unless it performs reliably and is backed by timely, honest, and effective communication.”

The National Commissioner said INEC was also developing a rapid-response digital communication strategy that would enable the Commission to detect, verify and counter misinformation in real time.

He added that the Commission would strengthen collaboration with communication scholars, universities, media organisations, fact-checkers, technology companies and civil society organisations to create a more resilient electoral information environment ahead of the 2027 elections.

The ACSPN National President, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, called for an integrated electoral information integrity framework involving INEC, political parties, media organisations, technology platforms, civil society and academia.

Olatunji said electoral integrity required stronger fact-checking mechanisms, AI-content detection tools, responsible political communication and improved media literacy among citizens.

Also speaking at the conference, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, warned that AI-generated misinformation and manipulated digital content could erode public confidence in the electoral process if left unchecked.

He urged stakeholders to promote responsible digital citizenship and intensify public awareness campaigns to enable Nigerians to distinguish factual information from fabricated content.

The discussions formed part of broader efforts to prepare Nigeria’s electoral and information ecosystem for the increasing influence of artificial intelligence and digital platforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.