The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been allocated N1,013,778,401,602 in the 2026 budget presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the National Assembly, marking one of the largest funding provisions in the commission’s history.
The allocation comes as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. Details from the 2026 Appropriation Bill, released by the Budget Office of the Federation, show a proposed total expenditure of N58.18 trillion, with total revenue projected at N34.33 trillion. Debt servicing is expected to consume N15.52 trillion. The budget has been tagged the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.”
INEC has repeatedly stressed the need for sufficient funding to ensure credible elections. The new allocation will cover major logistical demands, including the purchase of technology, voter education campaigns, and deployment of staff across the country. Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 mandates that election funds must be released at least one year before polls.
Election budgets in Nigeria have steadily increased over the years. In 2025, the National Assembly approved an upward revision of INEC’s budget to N140 billion from the N40 billion initially proposed. The commission spent N313.4 billion during the 2023 elections, though only part of the approved N355 billion had been released by September 2023. For context, the 2019 elections cost N143 billion, while the 2015 polls were conducted at N108.8 billion.
Professor Bolade Eyinla, former Chief Technical Adviser to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, projected that the 2027 elections could cost around N870 billion (approximately US$600 million). Speaking at a Yiaga Africa 2027 Elections Scenarios and Election Manipulation Risk Index retreat in Abuja, he described Nigeria’s elections as among the largest peacetime civil operations, requiring significant financial, technological, and logistical resources.
With over 93 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units, and 1,558 electoral constituencies, the scale of the elections demands extensive preparation. Eyinla said the per-voter cost, at about US$6.72, aligns with international norms for transitional democracies.
Comparatively, election costs per voter in other countries were higher: Kenya spent US$25.9 in 2017 and US$14.9 in 2022; Ghana US$13.1 in 2016 and US$7.7 in 2020; South Africa US$5.1 in 2019 and US$7.1 in 2024; the Democratic Republic of Congo US$22 and US$14.37 in 2023; Liberia US$22 in 2023; and India US$8.5 in 2019.
Eyinla noted that taking into account inflation, currency fluctuations, and operational expansion, the projected N870 billion for 2027 is realistic. He added, “Conducting the 2027 general election will require around US$600 million, assuming INEC manages its resources prudently.”
