Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is preparing staff and providing assistive materials in Kwara State to address barriers facing voters with disabilities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
BusinessDay reported that Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner Dr. Ahmed Yushau Garki outlined the effort at a sensitisation programme in Ilorin on Oct. 23. People with disabilities, electoral officers and disability desk officers attended, the newspaper said.
In a report published Oct. 26, BusinessDay said Garki described barriers involving mobility, visual access, literacy and access to election information. He said INEC was preparing electoral staff to assist voters and providing magnifying glasses and other voting aids. The report gave no equipment totals, coverage target or delivery date.
Sheye Adeogun, head of INEC’s Information and Communication Technology Department in Kwara, linked election credibility to effective use of technology, consistent procedures, documented results and public confidence, BusinessDay reported.
INEC adopted its Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process in September 2018. In its review of the 2023 general election, the commission said it used magnifying glasses and Braille ballot guides. The review also called for better access at election centers and further efforts to increase participation by voters with disabilities.
The Kwara plans described by BusinessDay include staff support and voting aids, while INEC’s review records earlier use of some of those tools alongside a call for continued improvements. The reports do not say whether the Kwara effort expands the number of polling units offering accessibility measures.
Voters with disabilities are the intended beneficiaries identified in the reports. BusinessDay gave no estimate of how many people or polling units would be reached, what the measures would cost or when staff preparation and aid distribution would be completed. Whether the planned support reaches polling units before the 2027 elections is the next practical indicator.
