INEC Proposes N873.78Bn Budget for 2027 General Elections

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Feb 12, 2026 #Electoral Act 2022 Nigeria, #INEC 2027 elections budget, #INEC funding proposal, #N873.78bn election budget, #National Assembly electoral matters, #Nigeria general elections 2027

Pat Stevens/

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, marking a sharp increase from the N313.4 billion released for the 2023 polls.

The proposal was presented by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

He said the commission submitted the estimates in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, which requires election budgets to be prepared and submitted at least one year before a general election.

INEC explained that the proposed N873.78 billion comprises N379.75 billion for operational costs, N92.32 billion for administrative costs, N209.21 billion for technological costs, N154.91 billion for election capital costs and N42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.

The commission said the technological component would support voter accreditation systems, results management platforms and other digital infrastructure aimed at strengthening transparency and efficiency.

The proposed figure represents a significant rise compared with the N313.4 billion approved and released for the 2023 general elections, during which INEC deployed the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing Portal nationwide.

In addition to the 2027 general election budget, INEC requested N171 billion for its 2026 operations.

The commission said the funds would cover bye-elections, off-cycle governorship polls and routine administrative activities.

The breakdown of the N171 billion proposal includes N109 billion for personnel costs, N18.7 billion for overheads, N42.63 billion for election-related activities and N1.4 billion for capital expenditure.

However, the Ministry of Finance reportedly provided a budget envelope of N140 billion for 2026, which INEC said is insufficient.

The commission told lawmakers that the reduced envelope could limit its ability to respond promptly to emerging electoral needs, stressing the importance of urgent and flexible funding to maintain operational readiness.

Under Section 3 of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC is mandated to prepare and submit its budget for general elections at least one year before the polls.

The 2027 general elections are expected to hold in the first quarter of that year in line with Nigeria’s four-year electoral cycle.

The National Assembly is expected to scrutinise the proposals before making final appropriations as part of the federal budget process.