Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is gearing up for the 2027 general election by strengthening the software that powers its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while also introducing new artificial intelligence tools intended to help ensure that election results are accurate and trustworthy.

The plans were outlined by INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan during the presentation of the commission's 2027 General Election Readiness Report, where he highlighted the steps being taken to improve the BVAS system. Amupitan said the commission has been working diligently on both the software and hardware aspects of the technology to make it more reliable and to minimise the risk of human interference.

"Our focus has been on software hardening, optimising battery performance, and refining biometric calibration. These efforts are designed to prevent any form of manual manipulation," Amupitan stated.

57,000 New Devices and a Nationwide Stress Test

Alongside the software work, INEC has purchased 57,000 new BVAS devices to support its election preparations. Amupitan noted that the commission has also completed a comprehensive inventory and functionality check of all of its BVAS devices, including verification of GPS tracking — a step he framed as central to the commission's commitment to guaranteeing the integrity of the electoral process.

The hardware emphasis reflects the conditions the devices face on election day: each one must run through a full day of voting at individual polling units, where network coverage can be inconsistent — the kind of challenge that turned technical faults into nationally visible delays in 2023. In that light, optimising battery performance and biometric calibration is less routine maintenance than an effort to keep accreditation dependable at every unit.

To identify and resolve any technical issues in advance, INEC is set to conduct a six-day stress test on all configured BVAS devices from October 23 to 28, 2026. The proactive exercise is designed to uncover potential problems before election day and help ensure a smoother voting experience for citizens.

An AI Division and Automated Auditing Tools

The BVAS upgrades are only part of the commission's broader technology push. INEC is also integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its electoral processes to make elections smoother and more secure, with a focus on strengthening the integrity of results.

To spearhead the initiative, the commission has established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT department. The team is developing several innovative tools designed to strengthen the integrity of election results. Among them are automated, AI-powered auditing tools intended to streamline the verification of results. Importantly, these technologies will operate under a strict governance framework so that human oversight always remains part of the process.

INEC is also developing AI-driven tools capable of detecting anomalies within its databases. The commission says the capability is essential for monitoring ongoing activity and for safeguarding its public-facing online platforms from cyber threats and unauthorised changes.

The commission stressed that AI will not decide election outcomes. Instead, it will serve as a support resource — helping INEC identify unusual patterns, verify data and flag issues that require closer human inspection. According to the INEC chairman, the strategy is anchored in a five-pillar AI governance framework that emphasises the importance of human oversight at every step an approach that mirrors widely accepted AI governance norms of keeping consequential decisions in human hands. In this way, the commission is embracing technology to enhance the electoral process while also committing itself to transparency and accountability, blending advanced tools with human judgment to bolster the reliability and security of the country's elections.

Lessons From 2023

BVAS plays a crucial role in Nigeria's electoral process. The system verifies voters' identities using biometric data and also serves as a key component in transmitting polling-unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission's public result-viewing portal, known as IReV. Because BVAS accreditation establishes how many voters are cleared to receive ballots at each polling unit, the system's reliability carries weight well beyond logistics: it shapes whether results can withstand scrutiny once they are made public.

The technology became the subject of widespread public scrutiny after the 2023 elections, when technical glitches and connectivity problems caused delays in uploading polling-unit results to IReV. In response, INEC carried out a thorough review of its election procedures and identified several areas for improvement in the technology it employs.

Heading toward the 2027 polls, the commission is moving to address those challenges. While many voters may notice little change at polling stations, a considerable amount of work is taking place behind the scenes — enhancing the BVAS software, conducting stress tests on the devices and implementing automated systems designed to identify suspicious activity during the election process. INEC says the measures are intended to bolster the reliability of its election technology, providing stronger mechanisms for verifying results both before they are uploaded and after.

The Road to 2027

To keep preparations on track, the commission has outlined a detailed plan for the months ahead. State-level support training is scheduled for November 2026, followed by a strategic briefing in December 2026 and a local government readiness audit in January 2027. Each of these milestones — together with the October 2026 stress test — offers a checkpoint at which the commission's readiness measures can be observed and assessed before election day arrives.

With these improvements in place, INEC hopes to foster a more transparent and efficient voting process in 2027 and, in doing so, to help restore public confidence in the country's electoral system.