Nigeria's electoral body is already putting artificial intelligence to work, using it to improve logistics, catch anomalies, and sharpen the integrity of the voting process ahead of 2027.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission's chairman wants Nigerians to hear this clearly: AI will not be deciding the outcome of the next general election. The commission says it is actively building an AI governance framework, a sign that the technology is being brought in carefully, with guardrails in place.
The distinction matters. There is a difference between using smart tools to run a smoother election and handing those tools decision-making power. INEC appears to be drawing that line firmly, at least for now.
How that governance framework takes shape in the months ahead will tell us a lot about how seriously the commission is taking both the promise and the risks of AI in Nigeria's democratic process. Watch this space.
Originally published by AllAfrica.