The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have strengthened their partnership to enhance voter education, civic awareness and democratic participation ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
The renewed commitment was made on Wednesday when the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, Professor Amupitan described the engagement as a strategic partnership between two institutions with shared constitutional responsibilities to deepen democratic culture through sustained civic education.
He stressed that while INEC has continued to improve election management through technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and enhanced logistics, these efforts would have limited impact if citizens remained uninformed or disengaged from the electoral process.
“INEC cannot build a robust democracy in isolation. We can purchase the finest BVAS machines, optimise the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and improve our logistics, but all these achievements mean little if citizens remain detached, cynical or uneducated about the power of their votes,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman identified voter apathy, misinformation and inadequate understanding of electoral processes as major challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy, calling for sustained, grassroots-driven voter education campaigns beyond election periods.
He noted that such campaigns should target young people, rural communities, traditional institutions and civil society organisations to strengthen public confidence in the electoral system.
Amupitan also acknowledged improvements recorded in recent elections, particularly in biometric accreditation, result transmission and polling unit operations, but maintained that greater civic education was needed, especially for first-time voters and young Nigerians.
Earlier, NOA Director-General Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu commended INEC for its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process, describing democracy as the foundation upon which the nation’s progress depends.
“Democracy is the principle and the metric upon which this country either survives or fails. The right of citizens to decide who will lead them is something we must protect and promote,” he said.
Issa-Onilu noted that Nigeria’s growing youth population makes continuous voter education increasingly important, adding that many citizens still lack adequate knowledge of the electoral process.
He said NOA’s nationwide network provides the agency with the capacity to engage directly with communities through traditional rulers, religious leaders, market associations, transport unions, civil society organisations and other grassroots stakeholders.
According to him, the agency’s mandate extends beyond publicising government policies to promoting patriotism, national values and responsible citizenship.
“NOA cannot do it all alone, but NOA can lead the way,” he stated.
The NOA boss called for closer collaboration between the agency’s Civic Values and Democracy Education Department and INEC’s voter education unit to increase voter participation, combat misinformation and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 polls.
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