N395m for e-transmission out of INEC’s N873bn budget

The Independent National Electoral Commission has earmarked a total sum of N395.12m for the implementation of electronic transmission of election results nationwide.

The amount, according to the commission, would cover “the cost of SIM, system configuration and integration, system support and data bundle with one-year validity.”

However, this amount may be significantly higher as the Nigerian Communications Commission in January 2025 approved requests from network operators for tariff adjustments in response to rising operational costs, marking the first change in rates since 2013.

The decision allowed for a maximum adjustment of 50 per cent to current tariffs, significantly less than the over 100 per cent proposed by some operators.

With the increase in tariffs, there was a corresponding increase in the cost of calls, data and SMS across the country.

The PUNCH earlier reported that INEC informed the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections.

The agency also demanded N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.

The N873.78bn proposed for the 2027 elections represents a significant increase from the N313.4bn released by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of the 2027 general elections, while the N171bn proposal for 2026 is to support routine activities, including by-elections and off-season polls.

“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.

INEC further noted that the cost model included a data allocation framework of “one terabyte (1TB) of data bucket per 10,000 SIMs per annum.

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters requested an additional N30bn for INEC to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general elections.

In the proposal, contained in a report made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the senators asked to raise the allocation to N903bn, citing the need to bolster logistics and operational efficiency.

The rise in cost, The PUNCH gathered, may be as a result of tariff adjustments in response to rising operational costs,  among others.

Lawmakers believe the additional funds would strengthen operational capacity and address anticipated logistical challenges ahead of the nationwide exercise.

The 2027 election budget is structured into five major components: N379.748bn for operational expenses, N92.317bn for administrative costs, N209.206bn for technology, N154.905bn for capital expenditure, and N42.608bn for miscellaneous items.

The projection does not include a pending request by the National Youth Service Corps for an upward review of allowances for corps members deployed as ad-hoc election staff.

On the 2026 budget, Amupitan said the Ministry of Finance issued a ceiling of N140bn, but INEC proposed N171bn to meet its obligations.

The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities, and N1.4bn for capital projects.

Amupitan criticised the envelope budgeting system, noting that it did not reflect INEC’s operational realities, which often require urgent and flexible funding.

He also stressed the need for a dedicated communications network to enhance transparency and ensure accountability in the event of technical failures.

The Senate’s latest move signals early legislative engagement with funding arrangements for the 2027 elections, amid growing concerns over logistics, technology deployment and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process. (Punch)