2027: INEC trains Publicity Officers to counter AI-driven misinformation

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has commenced training for its Public Affairs Officers PAOs drawn from across the states, as part of efforts to strengthen the Commission’s capacity to counter the growing threat of artificial intelligence-driven misinformation ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

The training, a Capacity Building Workshop themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” was declared open on Monday in Abuja, by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee IVEC, Mal. Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

Haruna warned that the misuse of generative artificial intelligence in producing manipulated audio, video and images, as well as highly targeted messaging designed to feed conflicting narratives to different groups of voters, was “no longer a distant, theoretical risk” to the Commission.

He said generative artificial intelligence “has made it cheaper and considerably harder to detect manipulated audio, video and images,” stressing that its misuse extended beyond fabricated content to targeted messaging capable of dividing voters along conflicting narratives.

Haruna recalled that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had, while speaking recently at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, stated that “election credibility today no longer depends only on ballot papers, BVAS machines and result sheets,” but “depends equally on the information environment in which voters form their judgments.”

He said the Chairman had called for electoral technology and electoral communication to be treated “not as separate concerns but as a single discipline.”

Describing the workshop as a direct response to this reality, Haruna said Public Affairs Officers were “the frontline communicators of INEC in the states,” adding that “the credibility of INEC’s communication, in many respects, begins with the work you do.”

He said the skills to be built at the workshop, “in verification, in escalation, and in clear, consistent messaging,” would be tested in real time as the 2027 General Elections approach, and commended the Voter Education and Publicity department for designing a programme that is “practical, skills-based, and directly relevant to the realities you face at the state level.”

In her welcome remarks, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, told participants that “it is through you that Nigerians form much of their impression of who we are, what we stand for, and how reliable our information is.”

She said the Commission “operates under constant public scrutiny and is regularly confronted with attempts to misrepresent its work and undermine public confidence in it,” disclosing that the workshop was not a one-off engagement, as further capacity-building interventions were “at advanced stages of planning, with development partner support.”

Presenting the objectives of the workshop, the Deputy Director, Information and Publicity, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, said the training was designed “to strengthen the practical communication skills that Public Affairs Officers require in their day-to-day work, both now and as we approach the 2027 General Elections.”

He listed the objectives to include clarifying escalation lines between PAOs, Heads of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, and Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs; strengthening consistent writing across press statements, talking points and social media platforms; building capacity to monitor the information ecosystem and respond to misinformation and disinformation.

Others include introducing the responsible use of artificial intelligence in communication work, including its practical applications, its limitations, and the safeguards required around confidentiality and verification.

Mr. Ifogah said participants were expected to leave the workshop with “a shared appreciation of the standards of accuracy, consistency and professionalism required of every Public Affairs Officer of this Commission,” particularly ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

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