The Nigerian Society of Engineers has declared strong support for the real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a critical step toward improving transparency, efficiency and public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The position comes after the Nigerian Senate in February 2026 rejected a proposal seeking to make instant electronic upload of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s results portal mandatory.
Lawmakers had argued that poor internet coverage in rural areas, cybersecurity threats, weak power infrastructure and possible legal disputes arising from technical failures made compulsory real-time transmission risky.
The engineering body disagreed, insisting that such concerns should not outweigh the long-term benefits of modern digital election systems.
According to the society, the current reliance on physical movement of result sheets exposes the process to manipulation, loss and alteration as materials are transported across long distances.
It explained that electronic transmission secured with encryption and digital authentication can protect results from interference while reducing human handling.
The engineers noted that real-time uploads would dramatically shorten the time needed to collate and announce election outcomes, which often stretches for days under the manual system.
They added that existing communication technologies, including mobile broadband and satellite connections, can bridge connectivity gaps across remote parts of the country.
The society also highlighted that digital records limit errors commonly introduced when figures are repeatedly copied at various collation stages.
It said advanced systems can create permanent digital audit trails, allowing political parties, observers and institutions to independently verify results.
Beyond credibility, the group argued that electronic transmission would eventually reduce election costs by cutting spending on printing, logistics and large collation teams.
It maintained that scalable digital platforms can efficiently manage data from Nigeria’s over 176,000 polling units while providing backup options for locations with unstable networks.
Drawing from international experiences, the engineers pointed to countries where electronic result management has improved speed and trust in elections.
They stressed that Nigeria already has a growing technological base capable of supporting secure real-time transmission with proper investment and safeguards.
The society’s leadership emphasized that challenges such as cybersecurity, power supply and network limitations are technical issues with practical engineering solutions.
It warned that continuing to rely solely on manual processes would prolong electoral disputes and weaken public confidence in democratic outcomes.
The engineers concluded that mandatory real-time electronic transmission would represent a major reform toward transparent, efficient and credible elections in Nigeria.
They formally reaffirmed their full support for adopting the technology nationwide as part of the country’s electoral framework.
