The United Nations says Nigeria’s electoral success is key not just for the country — but for the entire continent.
During a visit to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Fall reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic journey. He said Nigeria’s size, influence and 27 years of uninterrupted democracy make it a global reference point.
“Your success will be our success,” Fall told INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, pledging the support of 26 UN agencies and stressing inclusion of youth, women and Persons With Disabilities under the UN’s “Leave No One Behind” principle.
UNDP Resident Representative Elsie Attafuah highlighted the long-standing UN-INEC partnership dating back to 1999, noting support in voter education, institutional strengthening and the introduction of election technology. She added that Nigeria’s leadership in the Regional Partnership for Democracy makes its progress critical for Africa.
In response, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan identified voter apathy, insecurity, disinformation and public trust as major challenges. He requested UN support in voter education, strengthening gender and inclusivity frameworks, and improving assistive tools such as Braille materials for PWDs.
Amupitan also revealed ongoing efforts to clean up the national voter register by removing deceased and duplicate entries, while improving result transmission and logistics tracking ahead of upcoming elections.
“Our hope is that every election we conduct will be better than the last,” he said.
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