INEC, NOA to Deepen Collaboration on Voter Education and Mobilisation Ahead of Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have renewed their commitment to collaborate more closely on public sensitisation and mobilisation efforts aimed at boosting voter participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.

This pledge was made on Wednesday when NOA Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, paid a courtesy visit to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

During the meeting, Prof. Yakubu stressed the critical role of advocacy and public enlightenment in achieving INEC’s mandate of conducting free, fair, and credible elections. He noted that the NOA plays a pivotal role in this effort and reiterated INEC’s readiness to work closely with the agency, especially in the lead-up to the November 8 Anambra governorship election and the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise scheduled to commence on August 18.

Yakubu praised NOA’s initiatives to engage citizens—particularly the youth—through innovative platforms like national virtual hackathons and the “NOA Content Factory,” which produces civic education materials for NOA TV, NOA Radio, and The Explainer Newsletter. He also welcomed the agency’s embrace of AI-powered data management, describing it as a valuable tool for targeted voter education.

“We should further explore collaborative opportunities, especially through our voter education, publicity, and ICT departments,” Yakubu said. He also highlighted the recent creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within INEC as an avenue for deepening strategic communication efforts.

According to the INEC Chairman, voter mobilisation remains a key area for partnership. While INEC will continue its education campaigns, he called on NOA to work with political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and other stakeholders to mobilise voters—particularly youth, women, and persons with disabilities—who remain under-represented in the electoral process.

Yakubu further noted that NOA has been included in the expanded membership of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), and will also play a crucial role in the revitalised National Inter-Agency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP).

In his remarks, Issa-Onilu underscored the importance of grassroots collaboration between both institutions to address widespread ignorance about their respective mandates. He expressed appreciation to INEC for fostering a stronger partnership and affirmed NOA’s commitment to the shared goal of deepening democratic participation.