RismadarVoice Reporters
October 27, 2026
A coalition of five civil society organisations has launched the Nigeria Election Data Observatory (NEDO), a collaborative initiative aimed at improving electoral transparency, data accuracy and accountability ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The platform is designed to harmonise election-related information collected by independent observers, civil society organisations and media practitioners, providing a coordinated system for monitoring and analysing electoral activities.
The initiative brings together Dataphyte Foundation, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), BudgIT Foundation, Yiaga Africa and the DEAN Initiative.
Speaking on the initiative, Dataphyte founder Joshua Olufemi explained that the observatory would address longstanding challenges associated with fragmented election data collection and reporting.
He noted that during previous elections, different organisations gathered information independently, making it difficult to reconcile discrepancies and establish a comprehensive picture of electoral developments.
NEDO is expected to provide a shared infrastructure for collecting, verifying, analysing and publishing election-related information, including polling unit results, observer reports, photographs and reports of electoral incidents.
The platform will also compare independently gathered results with official polling unit documents uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, IReV.
According to the organisers, the system will use optical character recognition technology to convert information contained in polling unit result sheets, known as Form EC8A, into machine-readable data.
This will enable researchers, journalists and election observers to analyse results more efficiently and identify potential inconsistencies requiring further verification.
Olufemi said the initiative had benefited from lessons gathered during the 2026 off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, where digital tools were tested to improve election monitoring and results analysis.
The consortium also plans to deploy approximately 1,400 observers across polling units nationwide during the 2027 elections.
Its observation application is designed to function in areas with limited internet connectivity, allowing field personnel to submit reports and supporting evidence.
Beyond election-day monitoring, NEDO will support research, public-interest reporting, misinformation detection and the publication of periodic electoral assessments.
The participating organisations expressed confidence that coordinated data collection and independent verification would strengthen public access to reliable election information.
They maintained that the initiative would complement existing electoral monitoring mechanisms while promoting greater transparency and accountability throughout Nigeria’s electoral process.
