The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has emphasized the need for deeper collaboration between the Commission and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Yakubu made this call on Wednesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, and senior officials of the agency to the INEC headquarters.
Addressing the delegation, Yakubu stressed that INEC’s success depends on active engagement with stakeholders and relevant national institutions, noting that NOA plays a vital role in public sensitisation and voter education.
“For us to effectively deliver on our mandate, we must collaborate with institutions like NOA that have the capacity to reach citizens at the grassroots,” he said. “Just like INEC, NOA has offices across all Local Government Areas, which enables direct contact with communities nationwide.”
Yakubu highlighted several areas for potential partnership, particularly through INEC’s Voter Education and Publicity Department and its newly established Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division under the ICT Department.
He underscored the importance of voter mobilisation, stating that while INEC will continue its voter education campaigns, NOA should support mobilisation efforts in collaboration with political parties, civil society organisations, and the media.
“The objective is to boost voter turnout and encourage greater participation from underrepresented groups—especially youths, women, and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs),” Yakubu said.
He noted that NOA has already been incorporated into the expanded Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and will continue to play an important role in the reactivation of the National Inter-Agency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP).
Yakubu concluded by reaffirming INEC’s commitment to a strong partnership with NOA and commended the agency’s new leadership for its proactive approach to national engagement.
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