INEC Trains Election Workers Ahead of 2027 Polls

(Prof. Joash Amupitan. Photo Credit: INEC)
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has started a training of trainers for state coordinating supervisors of its Electoral Operations Support Centre, EOSC.

The aim is to make the reporting of election incidents faster and more accurate ahead of the 2027 General Election.

INEC shared this in a post online on Wednesday.

The training is organised by its Electoral Operations Department and is meant to give the supervisors the skills to run EOSC activities and train the staff who will support election operations.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director, Operations, Jibril Mohammed, represented the Director of Electoral Operations, Isa Magaji.

He said the programme is meant to build teams that can give quick and reliable support across the country.

He described the EOSC as an important platform that helps the Commission keep track of what is happening in the field and pass on problems to the right authorities quickly.

Mohammed said every report involves a real situation affecting people.

According to him, every call or dashboard entry could involve election staff, materials, processes or voters who need guidance and practical help.

He urged the supervisors to give clear direction and use good judgement when leading their teams.

He also asked participants to pass on what they learn to staff at the state level.

He said the success of the training will be measured by how confidently and effectively the people they train do their jobs during the elections.

He encouraged them to take part fully, ask questions and share experiences, since clearing up doubts now will help avoid problems during the elections.

By the end of the programme, participants are expected to understand their EOSC duties better, along with reporting procedures, checking information, passing incidents up the chain and following up.

Mohammed stressed that reports must be accurate and quick.

A good report, he said, should clearly state what happened, where and when it happened, what action has been taken and the current status of the incident.

He also urged supervisors to treat field officers with calm, respect and kindness, especially those working under pressure.

He said how information is received can affect both the quality of information the Commission gets and the support given to staff in the field.

He asked the facilitators to make the training practical and interactive, using real-life situations that participants could face during the 2027 election.

He thanked the facilitators, organisers, sponsors and partners, and urged participants to justify the trust and resources put into the training.

The training is part of INEC's plans to strengthen its response and improve how it handles problems during the 2027 elections.