INEC has intensified efforts to improve its electoral training framework through a two-day Post-Election Training Audit (PETA) and Pre-Training Assessment (PRETA) workshop held in Abuja.
The exercise reviewed training conducted during the 2025 Anambra Governorship Election and the 2026 FCT Area Council polls, while setting strategies for upcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.
Declaring the workshop open, the Acting Director-General of The Electoral Institute (TEI), Prof. Ibrahim Sani, stressed that the quality of poll workers remains critical to public confidence in elections.
“The electorate’s perception of fairness, credibility, and inclusivity is largely determined by the performance of poll workers,” he said.
He commended officials for improved performance in recent elections but urged participants to critically assess past processes and recommend reforms.
The Acting Administrative Secretary of TEI, Malam Nasiru Umar, highlighted the importance of reviewing recent experiences while they remain fresh, encouraging honest and constructive feedback.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, described the workshop as timely, noting that effective training remains central to credible elections.
“What worked well must be institutionalised; what did not must be improved with urgency and precision,” she said.
The Director of Training, Dr. Binta Kasim Mohammed, explained that the audit covers key aspects such as recruitment, training logistics, inter-departmental coordination, stakeholder engagement—including collaboration with the NYSC—and overall training effectiveness.
She added that the review would also assess supervision, security, reporting systems, and the performance of ad hoc staff during elections, with the aim of strengthening future training frameworks.
INEC officials from ICT and Electoral Operations departments also emphasized continuous improvement, inter-agency collaboration, and alignment with global best practices.
The Commission reiterated that the combined PETA/PRETA initiative reflects its commitment to institutional learning and proactive planning, expressing confidence that outcomes from the workshop will further enhance the credibility and efficiency of Nigeria’s electoral process.
