The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday received a high-level delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, ECONEC, on a post-election follow-up and needs assessment mission to Nigeria.
The meeting, held at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, was aimed at reviewing Nigeria’s implementation of recommendations made by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, EOM following the 2023 General Election.
The Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission and Head of the ECONEC Mission, Mrs Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, led the delegation, which included the Deputy Chairman (Corporate Services) of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Dr. Bossman Asare; the Acting Permanent Secretary of ECONEC and ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division Head, Mr Serigne Mamadou Ka; as well as experts from GIZ, EISA, and International IDEA.
Welcoming the delegation, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, emphasized the importance of the mission, describing it as a “routine but critical” component of democratic consolidation in West Africa.
He noted that Nigeria had itself participated in several such peer missions, most recently to The Gambia in April 2025.
Prof. Yakubu lauded ECOWAS for deploying both long- and short-term observers for Nigeria’s 2023 elections and for following up with actionable recommendations. He revealed that ECOWAS had issued 37 recommendations, 13 of which were directed at INEC, while 24 were addressed to other stakeholders, including the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), NITDA, political parties under IPAC, civil society, the NUJ, and NIMC.
“The Commission has already taken administrative steps on the 13 recommendations addressed to us, while we await legislative interventions from the National Assembly on matters requiring legal reform,” Prof. Yakubu stated. “These reforms are also captured in INEC’s 142-point recommendation document for electoral reform, which was developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders and is available on our website.”
The INEC Chairman expressed appreciation to ECONEC for its consistent partnership and to development partners who supported the mission. He specifically acknowledged EISA’s Lenny Taabu, IDEA’s Emmanuel Kissi, and GIZ’s Michael Agada for their technical input.
Prof Yakubu also extended heartfelt gratitude to the ECONEC Secretariat staff for their professionalism and relentless support for electoral development in the region.
In her response, the ECONEC Mission Head, Mrs. Browne-Lansanah, expressed appreciation for INEC’s warm reception and openness to engage. She described the mission as a peer-to-peer learning platform, noting that the challenges and solutions observed during Nigeria’s 2023 elections were invaluable to other electoral bodies in the region.
“We came to understand how INEC has implemented our earlier recommendations and to learn from the experience. The issues you faced are not unique to Nigeria, they mirror what many of our institutions across West Africa encounter,” she said.
Mrs Browne-Lansanah grew emotional while recounting Nigeria’s support to Liberia’s electoral body, particularly INEC’s role in equipping the NEC’s ICT infrastructure. “Because of your intervention, we now have an ICT room in Liberia,” she noted. “When we needed support, ECONEC and Nigeria responded. And that, to me, speaks volumes about solidarity and true leadership.”
She commended Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the entire INEC team for their commitment to democratic values and advancing electoral integrity not only in Nigeria but across the West African region. “We are here to learn and to use your insights to improve our systems back home.”
