The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has introduced a homegrown Strategic Electoral Intelligence Framework aimed at helping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) address declining public trust and reverse falling voter turnout ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The framework was presented on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Abuja during the Commission’s first-quarter consultative meeting with media executives.
Speaking at the event, NIPR Acting President, Emmanuel Samu Dandaura, said the framework goes beyond technological solutions by offering targeted insights and strategic communication tools to restore confidence in the electoral process and strengthen engagement with stakeholders.
“This framework goes beyond technology, providing INEC with targeted insights and strategic tools to restore confidence, manage perceptions, and strengthen engagement across all stakeholders,” Dandaura said.
He stressed that credible elections are not delivered by technology alone, but through a comprehensive communication strategy that addresses credibility concerns and rebuilds citizens’ trust.
“Unmet expectations from past elections have created a perception challenge that cannot be solved by technology alone. We need a deliberate communication strategy that restores trust and positively shapes public perception,” he added.
While acknowledging INEC’s technological innovations during the 2023 elections, Dandaura noted that operational glitches during the process intensified public scrutiny and weakened confidence.
According to him, improvements to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) system are important but insufficient on their own to restore trust.
“We must engage the minds of Nigerians and international observers whose past experiences have eroded trust in the electoral process. Ahead of the 2027 elections, a carefully designed strategic communication approach is essential to measure and manage public perception,” he said.
Dandaura cautioned INEC against relying on propaganda to protect its reputation and outlined key components of the Strategic Electoral Intelligence Framework. These include the identification of low-confidence “Reputation Desert Zones,” region-specific perception insights, a National Electoral Perception Index, and real-time dashboards to guide communication and counter misinformation.
He added that a three-wave longitudinal survey would track shifts in public perception over time, enabling proactive and data-driven interventions.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, commended NIPR for the initiative and expressed the Commission’s readiness to collaborate.
“I am confident this framework will strengthen INEC’s reputation through a homegrown dashboard that enhances our capacity to assess regional risk profiles, deploy data-driven messaging, and establish early-warning systems against misinformation,” Amupitan said.
“Such strategic communication will boost public trust and deepen the credibility of future elections.”
He described the proposal as timely, noting that strategic communication is critical to sustaining electoral credibility and public confidence.
Last month, NIPR, in partnership with Reputation Perception Services (RPS), unveiled the Nigeria Reputation Perception Index (NRPI) Report 2025, which highlighted structural and perception gaps contributing to Nigeria’s low RPI score of 35.2. The report underscored how electoral cycles significantly influence national reputation.
The consultative forum attracted media executives from over 160 institutions and was attended by all National INEC Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, the Secretary of the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and other senior INEC officials.
At the meeting, Dandaura formally presented copies of the Nigeria Reputation Perception Index 2025 Report and the Strategic Electoral Intelligence Framework to the INEC Chairman
