The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been allocated N1.013 trillion in the 2026 federal budget presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Details of the 2026 Appropriation Bill released by the Budget Office of the Federation show that the allocation is one of the largest in the commission’s history, coming ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
President Tinubu proposed a total budget of N58.18 trillion, tagged “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.” The proposal projects N34.33 trillion in revenue and N58.18 trillion in expenditure, including N15.52 trillion earmarked for debt servicing.
Observers note that the scale of INEC’s allocation will be tested by extensive logistical demands, including procurement of election technology, voter education, and nationwide deployment of personnel.
Under Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, funds for general elections are required to be released at least one year before polling day.
INEC has repeatedly stressed the importance of early and adequate funding to guarantee credible elections. In 2025, the National Assembly approved an upward review of the commission’s budget to N140 billion, up from the N40 billion initially proposed by the Federal Government.
For the 2023 general elections, INEC spent N313.4 billion, although the commission disclosed in its post-election report that only that amount had been released out of the N355 billion approved as of September 2023. Previous election costs include N143 billion approved for the 2019 elections and about N108.8 billion spent on the 2015 polls.
Meanwhile, Professor Bolade Eyinla, former Chief Technical Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, projected in October that the commission may require about N870 billion (US$600 million) to conduct the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a retreat organised by Yiaga Africa in Abuja, Eyinla described Nigeria’s elections as among the largest peacetime civil operations globally, citing the scale of logistics required for over 93 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units, and 1,558 electoral constituencies.
He said the cost projection reflects inflation, currency fluctuations, and operational expansion, adding that the estimated US$6.72 per voter falls within international norms for transitional democracies.
Eyinla noted that election costs per voter were significantly higher in several other countries, including Kenya, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia, while Nigeria’s figures remain comparatively modest. He added that data from the National Bureau of Statistics support the projection, given current economic conditions.
According to him, with prudent resource management, the estimated US$600 million requirement for the 2027 elections is realistic.
