As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, electoral stakeholders, media professionals, technology experts and civil society organisations will gather in Abuja for a two-day national summit to examine the growing threats posed by artificial intelligence, disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) to the country’s electoral process.
The summit, titled “Beyond the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Information Integrity in the Age of AI,” will take place on 2 and 3 November 2026 at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), in collaboration with DAI and International IDEA, the summit is being held under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme, funded by the European Union.
The gathering comes amid growing concerns about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence and digital communication technologies to influence elections. Deepfake videos, AI-generated audio, manipulated images, coordinated disinformation campaigns and misleading online narratives are creating new challenges for electoral institutions, journalists and citizens.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the summit will examine how these technologies could be used to distort electoral information, influence public perceptions, create confusion among voters and undermine confidence in election outcomes.
Speaking on behalf of the EU-SDGN Programme, Lanre Arogundade said the summit was designed to encourage practical responses to emerging threats to electoral information integrity ahead of the 2027 elections.
The challenge before us is no longer simply whether false information can influence elections. Artificial intelligence has made it possible to produce convincing images, videos and audio recordings capable of misleading millions of people within minutes. As Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, we must ask whether our electoral institutions, the media, technology platforms and citizens are sufficiently prepared to recognise and respond to these threats.
“Beyond the Ballot is not just another conference about information disorder. It is an opportunity to test our preparedness, examine institutional responsibilities and identify practical measures to protect the integrity of electoral information. Our objective is to ensure that Nigerians can make electoral decisions based on credible information rather than manipulation, deception or manufactured narratives,” Arogundade said.
The summit is expected to bring together approximately 250 participants, including representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), media organisations, technology platforms, fact-checking organisations, civil society groups, government institutions, academia and other stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s electoral process.
A major highlight of the event will be an interactive simulation of an AI-driven electoral disinformation crisis, designed to test how institutions and information actors respond when misleading content spreads during an election.
Beyond the simulation, the summit will feature discussions on the responsibilities of digital platforms, the influence of social media content creators, the implications of foreign information manipulation and interference, and the changing role of journalism in an increasingly AI-driven information environment.
Participants will examine the challenges of detecting manipulated content, verifying election-related claims, communicating accurate information during electoral emergencies and strengthening public resilience against disinformation.
The gathering will also provide an opportunity to identify practical measures for improving institutional preparedness, strengthening cooperation among stakeholders and ensuring that citizens have access to credible information throughout the electoral process.
The summit is expected to contribute to ongoing national discussions about protecting electoral information integrity while safeguarding freedom of expression, media independence and citizens’ right to information.
As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the summit will address a fundamental question: how can electoral institutions, the media, technology platforms and citizens protect the credibility of electoral information in an era when artificial intelligence is making it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic content from fabricated material?
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