By Ameh Gabriel
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its strategic partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) as part of renewed efforts to boost voter education, grassroots mobilization, and civic participation ahead of the Anambra Governorship Election in November 2025 and the 2027 General Elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made this known during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. He described the visit as both timely and critical to Nigeria’s evolving electoral landscape.
Yakubu highlighted NOA’s pivotal role in shaping public perception and fostering civic responsibility, noting that the agency remains a key stakeholder in ensuring credible elections.
“INEC cannot fulfil its mandate in isolation. Our success depends on collaboration with institutions like the NOA, which has deep community roots and the capacity for nationwide mobilisation,” he stated.
He emphasised the importance of targeting underrepresented groups such as women, youths, and Persons with Disabilities through sustained voter education and awareness campaigns, calling NOA’s advocacy efforts vital in tackling voter apathy.
The INEC Chairman commended recent innovations introduced under Issa-Onilu’s leadership, including the launch of the NOA Content Factory, which houses NOA TV, NOA Radio, and The Explainer newsletter. He also praised the agency’s embrace of digital communication tools, including virtual hackathons and the move towards AI-driven data strategies.
“These are the kind of modern tools we need to strengthen civic awareness in today’s digital era,” he said, adding that INEC is open to closer cooperation through its Voter Education and Publicity Department and the newly established Artificial Intelligence Division.
Yakubu called for a coordinated approach involving political parties, civil society organisations, and the media, urging NOA to intensify its grassroots efforts to complement INEC’s ongoing campaigns.
He also revealed that NOA has been fully integrated into the expanded Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and will play a key role in the soon-to-be-revamped National Inter-Agency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP).
With the Anambra Governorship election set for November 8, 2025, and nationwide preparations underway for the 2027 polls, Professor Yakubu announced that Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will begin with an online pre-registration portal opening on August 18, followed by in-person registration on August 25.
He concluded by expressing confidence in the NOA’s leadership and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with the agency to ensure a more transparent, inclusive, and credible electoral process.
