By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
FUNDING PROPOSAL of N873.78 billion has been submitted for the conduct of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
JKNewsMedia.com reports that Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the commission, presented the estimate before the National Assembly of Nigeria Joint Committee on Electoral Matters on Thursday and said the proposal outlines the full financial requirements for organising the nationwide polls.
The breakdown, according to Prof Amupitan, shows operational expenses of N375.75 billion for logistics and field activities.
Administrative costs are also projected at N92.31 billion for coordination and support services, technology related expenditure stands at N209.21 billion for electronic systems and digital infrastructure, while capital items are estimated at N154.90 billion, bringing the four major components to over N832.16 billion, INEC Chairman stated.
INEC also budgeted N41.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses, raising the total to N873.78 billion.
Amupitan clarified that the election estimate is separate from the commission’s proposed N171 billion 2026 budget.
He explained that the 2026 allocation will fund routine operations, including by elections and off cycle governorship contests, and noted that the early submission complies with the Electoral Act 2022 requirement for advance presentation.
Lawmakers had questioned funding modalities and compliance with provisions on electronic transmission of results.
Samuel Lalong, Chairman of the Joint Committee, assured that the proposal would undergo detailed scrutiny and emphasised that while INEC submits estimates, appropriation authority lies with the legislature.
The committee also reviewed funding for members of the National Youth Service Corps expected to serve as ad hoc staff.
INEC projected deploying about 450,000 corps members for the 2027 elections, with each proposed to receive ₦127,000 alongside feeding and training allowances.
Debate on the budget coincided with amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
Also, the Nigerian Senate had earlier rejected a clause mandating real time electronic transmission of polling unit results.
The provision sought compulsory upload of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal after completion of statutory forms, and the chamber retained a clause allowing INEC discretion on transmission methods.
The move triggered protests by civil society groups and political actors, including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi.
During an emergency plenary, the Senate had reversed its position approving electronic transmission while permitting manual collation as backup in case of technical failure.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the amendment was sponsored by Tahir Monguno and supported by Abba Moro.
Meanwhile, both chambers are expected to harmonise their versions of the bill before final passage.
Meta description: INEC proposes ₦873.78 billion for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, detailing operational, administrative, technology and capital costs before lawmakers.
