NEDO to Deploy Over 4,000 Observers, AI Technology for 2027 Elections

The Nigeria Election Data Observatory (NEDO), a consortium of five civil society organisations, has announced plans to deploy more than 4,000 observers and introduce technology-driven monitoring to strengthen transparency and accountability during the 2027 general elections.

The initiative was unveiled in Abuja by the consortium, which brings together Dataphyte Foundation, Yiaga Africa, BudgIT Foundation, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and the Development of Educational Action Network (DEAN) Initiative.

Country Director of Dataphyte Foundation, Oluseyi Olufemi, said the initiative was designed to address fragmentation in election observation, data collection and reporting by creating a shared platform for gathering, analysing and verifying electoral information.

He explained that observers would provide real-time information on electoral administration, voting, incidents, result collation and election outcomes across the country.

The information would be collected through the NEDO Civic App and stored in a shared evidence repository accessible to participating organisations for analysis, verification and reporting.

According to Olufemi, the platform would integrate field observations with official results published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and information from independent media networks to support evidence-based reporting.

He said the system would also employ artificial intelligence-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to convert images of result sheets uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) into machine-readable data.

The technology would enable the consortium to organise and analyse election figures, identify possible inconsistencies and make relevant information available through interactive election-result platforms developed by participating organisations.

Olufemi said the initiative was particularly important in view of concerns arising from the 2023 general elections, when difficulties surrounding the transmission and publication of results on IReV generated questions about electoral transparency.

He noted that individual civil society organisations often operated separate observation networks and collected similar information without a common mechanism for sharing resources or comparing findings.

NEDO, he said, would establish a coordinated system through which evidence from different sources could be cross-checked, helping journalists and other stakeholders assess competing claims and identify discrepancies.

The consortium also plans to conduct pre-election surveys and situation assessments to examine electoral preparedness, public confidence, citizens’ perceptions and emerging risks ahead of the polls.

The findings will inform a National Election Readiness Report, regional briefs and periodic situation reports intended to provide stakeholders with information on the conditions shaping the elections.

The initiative comes amid concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, political intimidation and the growing use of artificial intelligence to produce misleading electoral content.

Olufemi cited a September 2026 national voting intentions survey by Yiaga Africa, which found that 34 per cent of respondents expressed confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct credible elections.

He said the consortium would work with journalists, researchers, technology partners, civil society organisations and other electoral stakeholders to improve access to reliable information throughout the electoral process.

The CJID will facilitate connections with participating newsrooms and fact-checking networks, enabling journalists to seek corroboration from observers before publishing reports about election-related incidents.

The consortium said this approach would help reduce conflicting reports and strengthen public access to verified information.

After the elections, NEDO plans to analyse the evidence gathered by its observers, compare relevant findings with official results and publish a post-election report. Appropriate datasets will also be made available for research, advocacy and electoral reform.

The consortium said the initiative would support independent scrutiny of the electoral process by bringing together observation networks, technology, data analysis and media reporting.

It urged relevant stakeholders to participate in the project and support efforts to promote credible elections through transparency, accountability and access to verifiable electoral information.