The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a training programme for state coordinating supervisors of its Electoral Operations Support Centre (EOSC) ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The commission said the training is focused on improving the speed and accuracy of electoral incident reporting during the elections.
INEC disclosed this in a post on its X handle on Wednesday, stating that the programme was organised by its Electoral Operations Department.
According to the commission, the training is designed to equip state coordinating supervisors with the skills needed to effectively coordinate EOSC activities and train personnel who will provide operational support during the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the programme, the Deputy Director, Operations, Jibril Mohammed, who represented the Director of Electoral Operations, Isa Magaji, said the training was aimed at developing teams capable of providing timely and reliable operational support across the country.
He stressed the importance of having well-trained personnel to ensure effective coordination and prompt reporting of incidents throughout the electoral process.
He described the EOSC as an important platform for helping the Commission monitor developments in the field and ensure that emerging challenges are promptly escalated to the appropriate authorities.
“Every report represents a situation affecting people,” Mohammed said, stressing that every call or dashboard entry could involve electoral personnel, materials, processes or voters requiring guidance and practical intervention.
He urged the supervisors to provide clear direction and exercise sound judgement when coordinating their teams.
Mohammed also tasked participants with ensuring that the knowledge gained from the training was effectively transferred to personnel at the state level.
“The success of this training will ultimately be measured by how confidently and effectively the personnel trained by you perform their responsibilities during the elections,” he said.
He urged participants to actively engage in the sessions, ask questions and share their experiences, noting that resolving uncertainties during the training would help prevent operational challenges during the elections.
According to him, participants are expected to leave the programme with a stronger understanding of EOSC responsibilities, reporting procedures, information verification, incident escalation and follow-up processes.
Mohammed emphasised the importance of accuracy and timeliness in operational reporting, saying an effective report should clearly establish what happened, where and when it happened, the action already taken and the current status of the incident.
He also urged supervisors to preserve the human side of their responsibilities by treating field officers with calmness, respect and helpfulness, particularly when dealing with personnel operating under pressure.
“The quality of communication and the manner in which information is received could affect both the quality of information available to the Commission and the support provided to personnel in the field,” he said.
Mohammed called on the facilitators to make the training practical and interactive, with emphasis on real-life situations participants could encounter during the 2027 General Election.
He commended the facilitators, organisers, sponsors and partners for supporting the programme, while urging participants to justify the confidence and resources invested in the training.
The initiative forms part of INEC’s preparations to strengthen its operational response and improve the management of emerging challenges during the 2027 elections.
