The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has disclosed that Nigeria spends only about $8 per voter on elections, placing the country among those with the lowest election costs in West Africa.
The organisation explained that this clarification was necessary to counter widespread misconceptions that Nigeria runs some of the most expensive elections in the world.
Speaking at a one-day town hall meeting in Sokoto on electoral reforms introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, PAACA’s Executive Director, Ezenwa Nwagwu, noted that available data proves otherwise.
Citing figures from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, he said Nigeria’s elections are relatively cost-effective compared to neighbouring countries. He added that misinformation and lack of reliable data often fuel the perception of excessive spending.
“ECOWAS data shows Nigeria spends about $8 per voter, making our elections among the least expensive in the region,” Nwagwu said. He urged stakeholders to ensure that conversations around elections are evidence-based and guided by laws rather than assumptions.
He further highlighted the dangers of misinformation, noting that politicians and poorly framed media narratives often mislead citizens and worsen public distrust in the electoral process. According to him, 90 per cent of election-related crimes are committed by politicians, making it vital for citizens to be well-informed to resist manipulation.
Nwagwu emphasized that while INEC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) are central to civic education, they cannot do the work alone. He called on civil society, the media, security agencies, and traditional institutions to play stronger roles in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
He also reviewed Nigeria’s technological advancements between 2015 and 2025, particularly the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which he said drastically reduced manipulation in the 2023 elections.
Also speaking, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Sokoto State, Umar Yusuf Garba—represented by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Abdullahi Sale Dawa—said the 2023 elections provided valuable lessons in voter education, technology deployment, and stakeholder engagement.
On her part, Sokoto State NOA Director, Babangida Kurfi, stressed that the strength of Nigeria’s democracy depends on citizen participation. She highlighted the need to curb vote buying, encourage peaceful political activities, and intensify voter education at the grassroots. Kurfi assured that NOA remains committed to working with civil society organisations like PAACA to deepen democratic governance.
