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By Chinenye Anuforo
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s blockchain ecosystem have begun exploring the potential of blockchain technology as a tool to improve transparency and strengthen the country’s electoral system.
The discussion took place during an X (formerly Twitter) Space hosted by the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN), themed “From Ballot to Blocks: Can Blockchain Fix Nigeria’s Elections?”
Participants at the forum noted that although blockchain technology is not a complete solution to Nigeria’s electoral challenges, it offers a framework that could significantly reduce result manipulation and rebuild voter confidence.
The session featured key industry figures including Chief Executive Officer of Alpha-Geek Technologies, Oluwaseun Dania; Chief Executive Officer of Egoras Technology, Harry Ugorji; President of SiBAN, Mela Claude Ake; and Head of Voter Education for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Lagos, Taiwo Gbadegesin, among others.
Speaking during the discussion, Dania noted that although Nigeria’s electoral process has improved in recent years, public trust in the system remains a major concern.
According to him, voter apathy is largely driven by the belief among many Nigerians that their votes may not count due to issues that occur during result transmission and collation.
“The real opportunity is actually much simpler. Blockchain is not there to change how Nigerians vote, but to technically protect the integrity of the votes that are cast. People will be more confident knowing that as they are casting their votes, the results are being recorded on the blockchain and visible to everyone across the world,” he said.
He explained that blockchain’s time-stamped and verifiable record system could help eliminate manipulation and encourage more citizens to participate in elections.
However, Dania advised that Nigeria should adopt a gradual approach rather than immediately transitioning to a full electronic voting system.
He proposed a hybrid model that could begin with integrating foundational systems such as the National Identification Number (NIN) database and voter registers into a secure blockchain infrastructure.
He also recommended using blockchain specifically for election result transmission and auditing to ensure that data cannot be altered between polling units and collation centres.
Also speaking, Ugorji suggested that the technology could first be tested within existing political party systems before being deployed nationwide.
According to him, the proposed infrastructure would allow polling agents to sign election results with private keys without incurring transaction costs commonly associated with blockchain networks.
“They have to scan the EC8A form. Once they scan and upload, there should be an AI-based layer that extracts that information and transmits it to the smart contracts. This data can be saved using the InterPlanetary File System so that at every point in time, everyone can verify the data,” he said.
Ugorji added that such a system could enable real-time vote tracking and eliminate the period between voting and final results that is often criticised as vulnerable to manipulation.
Providing insight into the electoral process, Gbadegesin explained that election management in Nigeria is a continuous cycle involving activities such as monitoring party primaries and assessing new political associations.
He described the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process as the most important stage for public participation in the electoral cycle.
According to him, the process typically intensifies between 18 and 24 months before general elections and is targeted at newly eligible voters who have attained the age of 18 as well as those seeking to update their voter records.
Gbadegesin, who was represented by Ayopo Lawal, Head of Unit, Voter Education at INEC Lagos, also highlighted improvements introduced through online pre-registration.
The system allows Nigerians, including those living abroad, to initiate voter registration, request transfers to closer polling units, and update personal information such as marital name changes using their mobile devices.
He explained that the approach helps reduce clerical errors often caused by manual data entry and ensures that voters’ information is captured accurately.
“For those who utilise the pre-registration portal, the final visit to the centre is strictly for biometric capture such as fingerprints and facial features. This process takes less than five minutes and reduces pressure on registration centres while ensuring that the voter register remains accurate and up to date,” he said.
During the discussion, SiBAN also expressed readiness to collaborate with INEC and offer advisory support if required in exploring the integration of blockchain technology into Nigeria’s electoral framework.
Participants agreed that Nigeria could begin with pilot programmes in smaller elections, such as university student union polls or secondary school representative elections, before deploying the technology at the national level.
They concluded that while the technology required to support blockchain-based electoral systems already exists, its successful implementation will depend on regulatory approval and the willingness of stakeholders to adopt a transparent system where election data, once recorded, cannot be altered.
