The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently welcomed a high-level group from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) to its office in Abuja. This visit was part of a follow-up mission after Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.
The main goal of the meeting was to review how well Nigeria has followed the suggestions given by ECOWAS after observing the 2023 elections. These suggestions were aimed at improving the election process.
The ECONEC team was led by Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, the head of Liberia’s election commission. Other members included top officials from Ghana and ECOWAS, along with election experts from GIZ, EISA, and International IDEA.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, warmly welcomed the team and explained how important this kind of visit is for growing democracy in West Africa. He mentioned that Nigeria has also taken part in similar visits to help other countries, such as The Gambia earlier this year.
Professor Yakubu thanked ECOWAS for sending observers to Nigeria during the 2023 elections and for sharing helpful feedback afterward. He said ECOWAS made 37 recommendations—13 were for INEC, while the rest were meant for other important groups like the National Assembly, police, media, and civil society organizations.
He added that INEC has already acted on the 13 recommendations made directly to them. However, some changes need new laws, so those are now in the hands of the National Assembly. INEC has also created a full document with 142 ideas for electoral reforms, which they shared after talking with many stakeholders.
Professor Yakubu also appreciated ECONEC’s continued partnership. He thanked international partners like EISA, IDEA, and GIZ for their technical help and support during this mission.
Speaking during the visit, ECONEC mission head Mrs. Browne-Lansanah thanked INEC for the warm reception. She said their mission is all about learning from one another and using Nigeria’s experience to improve elections in other West African countries.
She pointed out that the problems Nigeria faced are similar to those in many other countries in the region. Their visit was meant to see how Nigeria solved these problems and what lessons could be shared.
Mrs. Browne-Lansanah became emotional as she spoke about how INEC helped Liberia by setting up an ICT room for their electoral commission. She said this support showed true leadership and solidarity from Nigeria.
She ended by praising Professor Yakubu and the entire INEC team for staying committed to fair elections. She said Nigeria’s efforts are helping not just its own democracy, but others in West Africa as well.
