The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stepped up preparations for the 2027 General Election by launching a targeted workshop to train its Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) on proper archiving, cataloguing, and record documentation.
The training session, held in Abuja, was anchored on the theme “Preserving Institutional Memory Through Effective Archiving and Documentation.” The program builds on earlier strategic communication sessions designed to help public affairs officers manage official information more effectively ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle.
Fixing Longstanding Record-Keeping Challenges
Speaking at the event, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, identified record preservation as a vital pillar of the commission’s daily operations. She noted that poor record-keeping in past election cycles often made it difficult for the body to track progress or make necessary adjustments.
She pointed out that records from previous election cycles were sometimes “left in boxes or poorly organised, making it difficult for the Commission to conduct comparative analysis and learn from past experiences.”
Strengthening Internal Capacity Across All States
Eta-Messi explained that the Graphic, Library and Documentation (GLD) Division—the youngest unit under her department needs continuous support to build capacity across state branches so officers can handle their duties efficiently.
She urged the participants to maximize the workshop’s practical value, stressing that proper archiving allows the commission to safeguard its institutional history “for posterity, for reference and for lesson learning.”
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