The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially requested deeper collaboration with the United Kingdom government to bolster its capabilities in cybersecurity, election technology, security, and voter education as preparations intensify for next year’s 2027 general elections.​
The strategic request was conveyed by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during a high-level diplomatic meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.​
With the 2027 general elections rapidly approaching, INEC is prioritizing the reinforcement of its digital and physical infrastructure. Addressing the British delegation, Prof. Yakubu emphasized that while the commission has significantly modernized its voting systems, international partnerships remain vital to mitigating evolving global and domestic threats.
​”As we scale up our preparations for next year’s polls, our dependency on strategic allies like the United Kingdom becomes even more paramount,” Yakubu stated. “We are looking to deepen our collaboration specifically in safeguarding our technological platforms, neutralizing cybersecurity threats, and driving aggressive voter education campaigns to combat misinformation.
“​The proposed collaboration spans four critical operational areas designed to ensure the integrity of the upcoming elections. Cybersecurity Defense, Technical Deployment, comprehensive security and voters sensitisation.
By Strengthening the resilience of INEC’s web assets including the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) backends against advanced hacking attempts.
​In response, the British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery, reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic processes. He noted that a stable, transparent, and secure election in Nigeria is crucial for the democratic health of the entire West African sub-region.
​Dr. Montgomery assured the commission that the UK would provide technical assistance, capacity-building resources, and strategic advisory support to help INEC deliver a credible exercise in 2027.​
The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to set up a joint technical working group next month to fine-tune the operational details of the bilateral support framework.
