Between the 2nd and 3rd of November 2026, Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel was the venue a crucial two-day Summit with theme: 'Beyond the ballot: Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the age of AI/FIMI'. I was a valued stakeholder at the event. The conveners were: International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media & Society (CEMESO) and Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI). The European Union funded the project.
It's important to quote a section of the concept note as regards the Summit proposition: 'Nigeria requires more than public awareness of AI-enabled manipulation. It requires a trusted, coordinated and rights-respecting system through which institutions can anticipate emerging threats, verify evidence, escalate incidents, communicate authority and learn from each response...' The summit convened institutions with operational responsibility for the electoral information environment to agree and test the foundations of the system ahead of the 2027 elections. The Presidential election is approximately eighty days away!
Some of the stakeholders and resource persons were:
*Prof. Joash Amupitan - Chairman, INEC
*Prof. Attahiru Jega - Former Chairman, INEC
*H.E. Gautier Mignot - EU Ambassador to Nigeria & ECOWAS
*Hon. Mohammed Idris - Minister of Information & National Orientation (Represented)
*Dr. Lanre Arogundade - ED, International Press Centre (IPC)
*Dr. Akin Akingbulu - ED, Centre for Media & Society (CEMESO)
*Dr. Joe Abah - Country Director, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) - Represented
*Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika - Professor of Mass Communication, University of Lagos/Keynote Speaker
*Dr. Monday Ashibogwu - AI & Digital Media Professional/Journalist
*Prof. Lambe Mustapha - Professor of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin
*Prof. Umaru Pate - Director, Centre for Journalism & Nwe Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano
*Kunle Adebajo - Editor, African Academy for Open Source Investigations
*Elonoi Hickok - MD, Global Network Initiative (GNI)
*Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa - Ethical AI Specialist/Conflict Transformation & Peacebuilding Consultant
*Dayo Oketola - Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman
*Ade Atobatele - Founder, Bootstrap Africa
*Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji - Founder, Rise Network
*Charles Ebube - DG Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) - Represented
*Muhammed Haruna - INEC's National Commissioner/Chairman, Information & Voter Education
*ACP Bashir Abdullahi - National Cybercrime Centre, Nigeria Police Force (NPF)
*Ahmad Aluko - Simulation Director/Research & Information Disorder Specialist
*Monday Ashibogwu - AI & Digital Media Professional/Journalist
*Seun Akinbaloye - Broadcast Jounalist
*Maupe Ogun-Yusuf - Bradcast Journalist
*Engr. Gbenga Adebayo - President, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators
*Dan Bello - Socila Media Influencer
*Rukayya Mohammed - Social Media Influencer
*Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu - Professor of Political Science, UNN/Former National Commissioner, INEC
*Comrade Rex Elanu Benue - AAC
*Amb. Rufus Anjenigba - SDP
*Bolaji Abdullahi - ADC
*Osa Director - NDC/Representative of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)
*Dr. Ify Onyegbulam - Broadcast Journalist
*Aisha Yesufu - Political Activist & Co-Founder, Bring Back Our Girls
*Hon Nnenna Ukeje - Former Member, House of Representatives
*Samson Itodo - Executive Director, Yiaga Africa
*Dr. Lawrence Bayode - Director, ICT Department, INEC (Represented)
*Prof. Nhinifea Suraj - Professor of Mass Communication
*Taiwo Obe - Founder, Journalism Clinic
*Dr. Tunde Adegbola - Presenter of the Draft Electoral Information Protocol
The Summit clearly distinguished between two related but different challenges. The first is electoral information manipulation from any source, foreign or domestic. The second is Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI) - intentional and coordinated manipulative activity by foreign state and non-state actors, sometimes conducted through domestic proxies or enabling infrastructure. The two challenges require different mandates, evidentiary thresholds, attribution standards and escalation routes. At the Summit, participants built concensus on the threats posed by AI and FIMI and on collaborative solutions to be applied before, during and after elections...
The following were the sessions for the two-day Summit
*Keynote address: 'Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the age of AI: A call for preparedness, partnership & democratic resilience - Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika
*Evidence Briefing: Nigeria's 2027 threat landscape
Mapping the electoral information environment: An overview of AI-generated content, FIMI, false electoral information, hate speech & coordinated manipulation, including current trends, likely scenarios & risk indicators
*Fireside Conversation: Understanding FIMI in the Nigerian and international contexts
What distinguishes FIMI from Domestic Disinformation & legitimate political expression? Examination of coordination, proxy networks, attribution thresholds & uncertainty. International lessons and proportionate, rights-respecting responses
*Votes, Voices & Algorithms: Who is most exposed?
How is electoral information manipulated, & who is most exposed? Impersonation, algorithmic amplification, local language information gaps & gendered attacks. Which actors & communities are most vulnerable? Which risk are institutions least prepared to manage?
*Protecting Electoral Information - Who verifies, Who communicates? Who responds?
Who responds when electoral information is attacked? Focus: institutional mandates, verification standards, platform responsibility, legal safeguards, public communication & coordination standards
*Information Under Attack: A multi-stakeholder crisis SIMULATION
How the EMB, Journalists, Independent Fact Checkers, CSOs & Digital Platforms verify a disputed electoral instruction/communicate under uncertainty & coordinate appropriate responses while maintaining their separate responsibilities
*Synthesis: Priority threats & decisions for Day 2
Prioritised electoral information threat map presented. Lessons from Day 1's simulation noted. Unresolved questions on verification, communication, escalation & institutional responsibilities identified.
*Telecoms Accountability & Responsible Influencing: What should telecons operators & influencers do differently in 2027?
*Political Parties' Dialogue: Campaigning without deception
Campaigning with integrity in the age of AI. Which uses of AI in campaigning are acceptable & what crosses the line? Will Political Parties disclose & label AI-generated content? How will Parties prevent, discourage & respond to deceptive conduct by Party officials, contracted campaigners & affiliated influencers?
*Protecting Women's Political Participation from information attacks
Gendered information, impersonation, sexualised synthetic content & practical support for targeted women analysed
*When Results Become Rumours: Protecting Information Integrity During Counting, Collation & Declaration
The following addressed: Unofficial tallies, misrepresented result documents, premature victory claims, misleading explanation of delays & public understanding of result stages. How should electoral institutions,journalists, observers & platforms communicate when official tallies, misleading result images & premature declarations compete with verified information?
*Technical Briefing: Draft Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol
From detection to trusted public information. Presentation of Draft Protocol informed by day one's simulation & day two's discussions covering detection, verification, harm assessment, escalation, public communication, platform referral & learning. Discussed: How actors will detect, assess, verity, escalate, communicate & review information incidents
*Abuja Commitment & Next Steps for the Proposed Nigeria's Electoral Information Integrity Partnership
Presentaion & discussion of the Abuja Commitment on AI, FIMI & Electoral Information Integrity. Establishment of Steering Committee of Nigeria's Electoral Information Integrity Partnership with clear Terms of Reference, Work Streams, Focal Points & follow-up time-table for tracking implementation of the Electoral Information Integrity Protocol
In her robust keynote address titled: 'Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the AI era', Prof. Abigail Ndisika talked about 'architectural resilience in the terrain of technological disruptors like FIMI and AI deployed unethically' via synthetic media, etc. AI is neither an absolute evil nor an innocent human aid. Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms could track official vehicle deployment, detect voter anomalies, synthetic audio/low band width audio message, deepfake video fabrication, automated algorithmic voter suppression and false security alerts. FIMI could effect narrative laundering via proxies. Formerly, all information was treated as the same, but now we need to be more selective about the information we consume/share. Before sharing we must always verify.
Abigail made some propositions:
-The asymmetry of virality
-Proxy infiltration (foreign interference)
-Weaponisation of institutional weaknesses
-Adequate management of complex risk factors
-Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol
-Early Warning & Early Response (EWER) - Capture emerging synthetic threats
-Categorise threats to low, medium & high
-Route suspected information to 'Verification Hub'
-Rapid and authritative counter-messaging (preferrably multi-lingual). Note here that INEC must remain the central source of authentic information
-Post incident review
Abigail said the Press should not be gagged under the guise of eliminating fake news while noting that the integrity of the 2027 elections is being determined right now because of the choices we make before, during and after the polls...
At lunch: L-R: Maupe Ogun-Yusuf (Broadcast Journalist/Anchor for session on 'Votes. Voices & Algorithms: Who is most exposed & what are Nigeria's greatest vulnerabilities?'); Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji (Founder Arise Network/Panelist for 'Votes, Voice & Algorithms')
Taiwo Obe a.k.a. Taijo Wakunabe (Founder Journalism Clinic/Anchor of Technical Briefing - Draft Electoral Integrity Response) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan told the audience that he had to halt his zonal tour to assess election readiness for the Summit. He noted that Prof. Jega (former INEC Chair) had gone to war (conducted elections) and emerged victorious, and he was looking forward to being a successful INEC Chairman. He quoted J.F. Kennedy: 'Voter ignorance threatens collective security'...There's heightened electoral vulnerability. The terrain of electoral vulnerability has shifted beyond ballot box snatching. There's now Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI), Deepfake, Synthetic Content, Digital Manipulation, etc. Some of these potential and real time attacks are highly coordinated and heavily funded.
We should note that AI is not an enemy of democracy if ethically deployed. AI can refine logistics, streamline data analysis, etc. But AI could also be disruptive via the manipulation of data, high fidelity cloning of public figures, etc while targeting particular institutions! We now have an AI Desk in INEC. How do we contain AI in the electoral system? Citizens should learn how to vote correctly and how to verify viral information. Citizens should be able to distinguish between authentic information from INEC and fake news. There sould be safeguards against foreign manipulation of elections. Fact Checkers, Investigative Journalists and other relevant stakeholders must wort together...
In his remarks Prof, Attagiru Jega said that Chat bots powered by AI could be used by INEC to diseminate authentic information to voters.
The following are some of the key take aways from the Summit:
*There's is a clear difference between 'announcement of results' & DECLARATION of results. Only INEC is qualified to declare results. However, Media Houses could announce results which have been verified at Polling Units in LGAs/Wards/States
*Africans and indeed Nigerians need to build local AI platforms instead of relying only on platforms from the Western hemisphere
*Deep Fake and Synthetic media affect women (especially politicians) disproportionately. Therefore more safeguards should be put in place to protect women in cyber-space.
*AI should be ethically deployed in the electoral process
*The Draft Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol is work in progress which should constantly be fine-tuned in accordance with emerging scenarios
*The Abuja Commitment on Electoral Integrity is our shared responsibility towards crdible elections in Nigeria.
*The lead agency for every stage of the workflow should be collectively/clearly identified
With the active collaboration of CSOs, INEC, Platform regulatory agencies, security agencies, etc. against FIMI and unethical deployment of AI, we look forward to credible 2027 elections...
No comments:
Post a Comment