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2027: INEC Moves to Tackle Voter Apathy, Disinformation
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Published 10/23/2026 7:27:39 PM
INEC Moves to Tackle Voter Apathy, Disinformation – THISDAYLIVE
- Partners NOA, CSOs, traditional rulers
Sunday Ehigiator
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stepped up efforts to tackle voter apathy and disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections, partnering the National Orientation Agency (NOA), civil society organisations (CSOs) and traditional rulers to mobilise voters nationwide.
Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed this in response to enquiries by THISDAY, outlining measures being taken by the commission to improve voter participation, strengthen election technology and address security concerns.
Oketola said, “To boost voter turnout for the 2027 general election—with our voter register now standing at over 103 million registered citizens—the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already embarked on Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection nationwide and also addressed the bottlenecks associated with the process, while upgrading core technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the IReV portal to guarantee fast, transparent accreditation and seamless result verification.”
On efforts to make voting more accessible, he said, “Recognising that accessibility is essential to civic participation, INEC is using voter register data to deploy targeted assistive tools and enforce priority voting for over 232,000 registered Persons with Disabilities, elderly citizens, and nursing mothers.”
He said the commission was also expanding voter education and grassroots outreach in partnership with civil society organisations and community leaders, while strengthening efforts to counter disinformation.
“Simultaneously, the commission is prioritising voter education and expanding grassroots outreach in partnership with civil society organisations (CSOs) and community leaders, while running active fact-checking operations to counter online disinformation that drives voter apathy,” Oketola said.
He added that INEC had partnered NOA “to educate and mobilise citizens across the country to overcome civic indifference.”
On traditional rulers’ involvement, Oketola said the commission had taken its campaign against voter apathy directly to the grassroots by engaging traditional rulers in the South-west, South-east and North-west during its ongoing readiness assessment tours.
“During these engagements, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, appealed directly to the traditional rulers, encouraging them to mobilise their people to come out and vote on election day while steadfastly eschewing violence,” he said.
Oketola said INEC was also working with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to address safety concerns that could discourage voters from participating in the elections.
“Through precision-led security deployments, the commission was able to ensure peaceful conduct of the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun off-cycle governorship elections, the FCT Area Council Polls, and 16 bye-elections across the country under the leadership of Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN,” he said.
He added that the commission would use risk mapping to identify and address potential threats early.
“By using risk mapping to neutralise potential threats early, the commission aims to ensure all 176,846 polling units nationwide serve as safe, peaceful, and accessible environments for every Nigerian voter,” Oketola said.
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Jobberman Nigeria, Nigeria’s leading career development and recruitment solutions company, has launched ‘Her Next Move’, a campaign designed to empower young Nigerian women with practical skills and confidence to pursue career opportunities and participate more fully in the workforce.
Through free online training, the initiative supports women aged 18 to 35 as they prepare to enter the workplace, advance into better roles or explore freelance and gig work.
Built around the message ‘Your Future. Your Skills. Your Move’, the campaign places female inclusion at the centre of career development, encouraging women to take an active role in shaping their professional futures. It connects the ambition to progress with an accessible starting point: learning skills that can help women prepare for their next opportunity.
‘Her Next Move’ recognises that career progress looks different for every woman. For a graduate, it may mean preparing for a first job. For a woman already working, it may involve developing the skills to take on greater responsibility or pursue a new role. For another, it may mean understanding how to navigate freelance work and participate in the global gig economy. The campaign brings these aspirations together through a shared emphasis on learning, preparation and action.
This Initiative by Jobberman in partnership with Mastercard Foundation promotes two courses: Jobberman Soft Skills Training and Becoming a Successful Global Gig Worker. Both courses are free, with a free certificate upon successful completion.
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By making the training and certification available at no cost, ‘Her Next Move’ reduces the financial barrier to participation and encourages more young women to invest in their professional development. Its focus extends from raising awareness of learning opportunities to helping participants follow through and complete their chosen course.
To bring the campaign to life, Jobberman is working with young creators who are sharing personal stories about ambition, career transitions and the role of learning in their journeys. Through videos, social media posts and follow-up conversations, the creators encourage young women to reflect on their own goals and identify the practical steps they can take towards them.
These stories are intended to make career development relatable, connecting everyday aspirations with opportunities to learn. Across the campaign, the question “What is your next move?” invites women to define progress for themselves and begin preparing for it.
‘Her Next Move’ reinforces Jobberman’s and Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to supporting career development and expanding access to learning for young Nigerian women. By combining free skills training with relatable storytelling and encouragement to take action, the campaign seeks to help more women feel prepared to pursue their ambitions.
