INEC Trains Public Affairs Officers Ahead of 2027 General Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has commenced a capacity-building workshop for its Public Affairs Officers, (PAOs), as part of efforts to strengthen credible, verified and responsible election communication ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The workshop, themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” is aimed at equipping the officers with practical communication skills to effectively engage the media, respond to emerging information challenges and support the Commission’s public communication activities at the state level.

Declaring the workshop open, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, (IVEC), Mohammed Haruna, described Public Affairs Officers as frontline communicators of the Commission. Haruna said PAOs serve as an important link between INEC and the public through the statements they prepare, enquiries they respond to and the support they provide to Resident Electoral Commissioners and Heads of Department, Voter Education and Publicity.

He stressed that the credibility of INEC’s communication depends significantly on the quality and accuracy of the work carried out by its public affairs personnel. The National Commissioner noted that the communication environment had become increasingly complex with the rapid growth of social media and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.

He also referenced recent remarks by the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, where he emphasised the connection between electoral technology and electoral communication in strengthening election credibility. Haruna said the Commission considered the workshop necessary to prepare its communication officers to identify, verify and appropriately respond to misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Meanwhile in her earlier speech, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the training came at a defining moment for the Commission, as the responsibilities of Publicity Desk Officers would become increasingly demanding as the 2027 General Election approaches.
Eta-Messi described PAOs as the first point of contact between INEC and the public, noting that Nigerians often form impressions about the Commission, its activities and the reliability of its information based on the communication they receive from its officers. She urged the participants to carry out their duties with skill, consistency and credibility, adding that PAOs provide support to their Heads of Department and, by extension, the RECs in their respective states.

The Director disclosed that the workshop was not designed as a one-off intervention, revealing that additional capacity-building programmes were at advanced stages of planning with the support of development partners. She said continuous training was necessary because INEC operates under constant public scrutiny and faces attempts to misrepresent its activities and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Information and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, said the workshop was designed to strengthen the practical communication skills required by PAOs in their daily responsibilities and in preparation for the 2027 elections. Ifogah listed the objectives of the programme to include improving participants’ understanding of their roles as frontline communicators, strengthening their capacity to support media and public engagements, improving their writing for press statements, talking points and social media platforms, and enhancing their ability to monitor and verify information.

He added that the programme would also introduce participants to the responsible use of artificial intelligence in communication work. According to him, participants are expected to return to their respective states with practical tools that can be applied immediately, as well as a stronger understanding of how to identify, verify and respond to emerging information challenges.

The workshop also exposed participants to basic principles of strategic communication, including audience, purpose, message, timing and communication channels. The practical sessions featured group exercises involving scenarios on information monitoring and verification, escalation procedures and recommendations for appropriate responses.

The programme also included an Integrated 2027 Election Communication Simulation, designed to provide participants with practical experience in applying the communication principles and procedures discussed during the workshop.