Nigeria’s elections and the AI era: Are regulators ready?
Sir: Nigeria’s elections are entering the era of artificial intelligence (AI), but governance and institutional readiness are not keeping pace. As the 2027 elections approach, AI-generated videos, cloned voices, and
Sir: Nigeria’s elections are entering the era of artificial intelligence (AI), but governance and institutional readiness are not keeping pace. As the 2027 elections approach, AI-generated videos, cloned voices, and fake images are appearing online, blurring the line between reality and propaganda.
Young Nigerians, who increasingly rely on digital platforms for information, are vulnerable to misinformation. The 2025 Citizen Report by TechCabal Insights and The Citizen (Zikoko) found that 84.2 percent of Nigerian youth rely on social media for news more than they did five years ago. Yet 62 percent say misinformation discourages them from participating in politics. Without urgent action, deepfakes and algorithm-driven manipulation could distort voter choices and weaken trust in elections. Nigeria must respond by criminalizing AI-driven electoral deception. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff need training to detect deepfakes. There should be a nationwide digital literacy campaign to inform citizens about AI-enabled misinformation.
In a country brimming with political tensions, one viral deepfake could trigger panic and conflicts, and undermine an entire election. Although misinformation is not new, AI-generated content can look and sound convincingly real, making it harder for people to verify its truthfulness. If the spread of AI-driven misinformation continues unabated, it will entrench political and electoral apathy among citizens. Over time, this apathy will weaken the democratic system and deepen political instability.
Nigeria’s existing legal framework does not address the realities of AI-driven political manipulation. While the Electoral Act and the Cybercrimes Act address certain forms of misconduct, they do not cover the use of misleading AI-generated content. This legal lacuna allows the exploitation of emerging technology without fear of consequences.
Nigeria must act now to prevent AI-generated content from destabilizing elections. The National Assembly recently reviewed the Electoral Act to include the electronic transmission of election results. There should be another review Act to introduce provisions against AI-facilitated electoral manipulation. The review should include mandatory labelling of AI-generated campaign content. There should also be penalties for content intended to misinform voters.
Lawmakers should collaborate with INEC, legal experts, civil society, and technology specialists to ensure provisions are clear and enforceable. This reform would bring legal clarity and protect electoral credibility by setting firm boundaries for political campaigns in the AI era.
South Africa, in its effort to close this gap, has proposed an AI Policy Framework that mandates the labelling of AI-generated political content. The framework imposes penalties for the deliberate use of manipulated media. Nigeria can also propose a similar policy to complement the Electoral Act.
Legal reforms alone will not protect Nigeria’s elections. Institutions need the technical ability to detect and respond to AI-facilitated manipulation. INEC should partner with private cybersecurity firms and AI detection start-ups to monitor deepfakes, cloned voices, and other AI-generated content. A coalition of fact-checkers, journalists, and civic technology groups can verify viral content in real time and provide reliable information to the public.
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Ghana enforces election oversight by partnering with technology platforms to monitor disinformation during election periods. Nigeria can adopt similar strategies by encouraging social media platforms to implement mandatory labelling of AI-generated content. Nigeria should mandate these platforms to restrict repeat offenders.
INEC must equip its Artificial Intelligence Division with the technology to detect and mitigate the negative impact of AI-generated content on elections. INEC should also collaborate with telecommunications providers to support real-time monitoring of coordinated bot activity and suspicious mass-messaging campaigns. This approach will reduce the spread of misinformation and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s elections.
A nationwide digital literacy campaign is essential to help Nigerian citizens recognize AI-facilitated election manipulation. AI-generated content, such as deepfakes and cloned voices, will keep spreading if voters lack the skills to tackle them. Voters should be able to verify their sources, question viral narratives, or understand how algorithms shape what they see online.
Digital literacy campaigns will translate into a more informed electorate, reduced vulnerability to deepfakes, higher political participation, and stronger public confidence in democratic outcomes.
Criminalizing the deceptive use of AI-generated electoral content, capacity building for INEC staff, and a nationwide digital literacy campaign will protect Nigeria’s electoral system in the AI era. These steps will ensure credible elections and reduce post-election tensions. Nigeria must build a stronger democracy, where policy, not manipulation, will drive political competition.
•Ayomide Eweje, African Liberty.org
