The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under the leadership of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has continued to deepen its commitment to an inclusive electoral process with the commencement of a National Inclusive Voter Education Training for its Gender and Inclusivity staff.
The two-day training, supported by the Government of Canada through its Fund for Local Initiatives and organised in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), is designed to strengthen the capacity of INEC personnel to deliver voter education that responds to the diverse needs of citizens ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The training, held at the Exclusive Serene Hotel, Wuye, Abuja, brought together staff of the Commission’s Gender and Inclusivity Department from the States and other relevant colleagues, with emphasis on practical approaches to ensuring that voter information reaches and can be understood by all categories of eligible citizens.
The initiative is consistent with the direction of the Commission under Prof. Amupitan, whose leadership has placed emphasis on delivering free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people.
The Chairman’s commitment to inclusion has also been reflected in the Commission’s recent engagements with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other stakeholders to strengthen the participation of persons with disabilities in the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the training, the First Secretary, Political Affairs, High Commission of Canada in Nigeria, Colton Bridges, said Canada considered inclusive elections and democratic processes an important component of democratic development.
Bridges, welcomed participants to the training and expressed appreciation to IFES for its contribution to the initiative.
He said the project was funded through Canada’s Fund for Local Initiatives and formed part of a number of election-related projects being supported by Canada in Nigeria as preparations for the 2027 General Election intensify.
According to him, the decision to focus on inclusion reflected Canada’s belief in the importance of ensuring that democratic and electoral processes are accessible to all citizens.
“I hope for the next two days, what you’re going to take away from it is maybe how to do it a little bit better, how to do it differently, some strategies you can use to ensure that your education is inclusive,” he said.
Bridges, who disclosed that he had participated in election observation missions in Ondo, Anambra and Osun States, said those experiences had enabled him to see some of the efforts being made by INEC to promote inclusive elections, particularly in relation to persons with disabilities.
He, however, emphasised that electoral inclusion must go beyond disability.
He identified several categories of citizens whose circumstances may require specific approaches to voter education, including people who do not speak English fluently, persons with limited literacy, people living in remote communities and citizens without access to the internet.
“People who need specific types of information or specific types of messaging” must be reached so that they can fully participate in the electoral process, he said.
On persons with disabilities, Bridges acknowledged that many of the challenges they face in society, including access to education and employment, were broader than the mandate of INEC.
He stressed, however, that the Commission had the responsibility and capacity to ensure that the electoral process itself was accessible to them, enabling them to vote and exercise their franchise.
