The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a capacity-building workshop for its Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” is focused on improving the officers’ skills in media engagement, information verification and public communication.
INEC focuses on misinformation
Declaring the workshop open, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, described Public Affairs Officers as frontline communicators of the Commission.
According to him, PAOs serve as an important link between INEC and the public through the statements they prepare, enquiries they respond to and the support they provide to Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and Heads of Department, Voter Education and Publicity.
Haruna said the credibility of INEC’s communication begins, to a significant extent, with the quality and accuracy of the work undertaken by its public affairs personnel.
He noted that the communication environment has become increasingly complex with the growth of social media and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
The National Commissioner referred to remarks recently made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.
He said Amupitan had emphasised the importance of treating electoral technology and electoral communication as interconnected aspects of election credibility.
Haruna said the Commission considered the workshop necessary to prepare its communication officers to identify, verify and respond appropriately to misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.
PAOs face growing communication demands
Earlier, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, said the workshop had come at a defining moment for the Commission.
She said the responsibilities of Publicity Desk Officers would become increasingly demanding as the 2027 General Election approaches.
Eta-Messi described PAOs as the first point of contact between the Commission and the public, noting that Nigerians often form their impressions of INEC, its work and the reliability of its information through the communication they receive from its officers.
She urged participants to approach their responsibilities with skill, consistency and credibility, noting that PAOs serve as a support to their Heads of Department and, by extension, the RECs in their respective states.
Eta-Messi also disclosed that the workshop was not intended to be a one-off intervention, saying other capacity-building programmes were at advanced stages of planning with support from development partners.
She said continuous training was necessary because the Commission operates under constant public scrutiny and faces attempts to misrepresent its work and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Training includes social media and AI
Presenting the objectives and expected outcomes of the workshop, Wilfred Ifogah, Deputy Director, Information and Publicity, said the programme was designed to strengthen the practical communication skills required by PAOs in their daily duties and in preparation for the 2027 elections.
Ifogah identified the objectives as equipping participants with a clearer understanding of their roles as frontline communicators; strengthening their ability to support media and public engagements; improving their writing across press statements, talking points and social media platforms; enhancing their ability to monitor and verify information; and introducing them to the responsible use of artificial intelligence in communication work.
He said participants were expected to leave the workshop with practical tools that could be applied immediately in their respective states, as well as a stronger understanding of how to identify, verify and respond to emerging information challenges.
Participants were also introduced to basic principles of strategic communication, including audience, purpose, message, timing and communication channels.
The sessions featured contributions from resource persons including Dr. Chukwuemeka Ugbaoja, a former Deputy Director of Publicity, Dr. O. Silas and Mr. Mazi Ozurumba.
The practical session included group exercises in which participants worked through scenarios involving the monitoring and verification of information, escalation procedures and recommendations for appropriate responses.
The workshop also featured an integrated 2027 Election Communication Simulation, giving participants an opportunity to apply the communication principles and procedures discussed during the training.
