A high-level team from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, or ECONEC, visited Nigeria on Monday as part of a post-election follow-up and needs assessment trip hosted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.
Reviewing Nigeria’s execution of the recommendations provided by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, or EOM, after the 2023 General Election was the goal of the conference, which was held at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Along with the Deputy Chairman (Corporate Services) of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Dr. Bossman Asare; the Acting Permanent Secretary of ECONEC and ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division Head, Mr. Serigne Mamadou Ka; and specialists from GIZ, EISA, and International IDEA, the delegation was led by Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, the Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission and Head of the ECONEC Mission.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, welcomed the delegation and underlined the significance of the visit, calling it a “routine but critical” part of consolidating democracy in West Africa.
According to him, Nigeria has taken part in a number of these peer missions, the most recent of which was to The Gambia in April 2025.
Prof. Yakubu praised ECOWAS for sending both temporary and permanent observers to Nigeria’s 2023 elections and for making follow-up suggestions that may be put into practice. He disclosed that out of the 37 recommendations that ECOWAS had made, 13 were aimed at INEC and 24 at other stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Police Force, the National Assembly, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), NITDA, IPAC-affiliated political parties, civil society, the NUJ, and NIMC.
“The Commission has already taken administrative steps on the 13 recommendations addressed to us, while we await legislative interventions from the National Assembly on matters requiring legal reform,” Prof. Yakubu stated. “These reforms are also captured in INEC’s 142-point recommendation document for electoral reform, which was developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders and is available on our website.”
The INEC Chairman expressed appreciation to ECONEC for its consistent partnership and to development partners who supported the mission. He specifically acknowledged EISA’s Lenny Taabu, IDEA’s Emmanuel Kissi, and GIZ’s Michael Agada for their technical input.
Prof Yakubu also extended heartfelt gratitude to the ECONEC Secretariat staff for their professionalism and relentless support for electoral development in the region.
In her response, the ECONEC Mission Head, Mrs. Browne-Lansanah, expressed appreciation for INEC’s warm reception and openness to engage. She described the mission as a peer-to-peer learning platform, noting that the challenges and solutions observed during Nigeria’s 2023 elections were invaluable to other electoral bodies in the region.
“We came to understand how INEC has implemented our earlier recommendations and to learn from the experience. The issues you faced are not unique to Nigeria, they mirror what many of our institutions across West Africa encounter,” she said.
Mrs. Browne-Lansanah became tearful as she described Nigeria’s assistance to Liberia’s electoral body, including INEC’s contribution to the NEC’s ICT infrastructure. “We now have an ICT room in Liberia because of your intervention,” she said. “Nigeria and ECONEC stepped in when we needed help. And that, in my opinion, says a lot about unity and genuine leadership.
She praised Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the whole INEC staff for their dedication to promoting electoral integrity and democratic principles in Nigeria and throughout West Africa. “Our goal is to gain knowledge and apply your insights to enhance our domestic systems.”
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