The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a capacity-building workshop for its Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) to strengthen credible, verified and responsible election communication ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” is designed to equip officers with practical skills for media engagement, public communication and tackling misinformation and disinformation.
Declaring the workshop open, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, described PAOs as frontline communicators who play a critical role in shaping public understanding of the Commission’s activities.
Haruna said the growing influence of social media and generative artificial intelligence had made election communication more complex, stressing the need for accuracy and responsible information management.
Earlier, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said PAOs serve as the first point of contact between INEC and the public, urging participants to uphold credibility, consistency and professionalism.
She added that further capacity-building programmes were being planned with support from development partners.
Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, said the training would improve participants’ writing, media engagement, information verification and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
The workshop featured practical exercises on monitoring and verifying information, escalation procedures and appropriate responses, alongside a communication simulation to prepare officers for emerging challenges ahead of the 2027 elections.
