iDeemlawful—President Bola Tinubu has earmarked N1,013,778,401,602 for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2026 budget submitted to the National Assembly.
The allocation, described as one of the highest ever received by the commission, is intended to support preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Details of the funding provision are contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill issued by the Budget Office of the Federation.
Earlier, President Tinubu presented a N58.18 trillion spending proposal to the National Assembly, themed the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.”
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The budget projects total revenue of N34.33 trillion and overall expenditure of N58.18 trillion, with N15.52 trillion allocated for debt servicing.
Although INEC has consistently highlighted the need for adequate funding to deliver credible elections, analysts note that the commission’s capacity to effectively deploy the funds will be tested by logistical demands such as technology acquisition, voter education, and nationwide personnel deployment.
Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 stipulates that funds for general elections must be released to INEC at least one year before polling.
“The election funds due to the Commission for any general elections are to be released to the Commission not later than one year before the next general election,” the law states.
In 2025, the National Assembly approved a significant increase in INEC’s budget, raising it from the N40 billion initially proposed by the executive to N140 billion.
INEC expended N313.4 billion on the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
According to the commission’s 2023 General Election Report, only N313.4 billion of the N355 billion approved for that year had been released as of September 2023.
By comparison, the National Assembly approved N143 billion for the 2019 elections, while about N108.8 billion was spent during the 2015 polls.
In October last year, Professor Bolade Eyinla, former Chief Technical Adviser to INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, estimated that the 2027 general elections could cost the commission about N870 billion (US$600 million).
Speaking at the Yiaga Africa 2027 Elections Scenarios and Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI) Retreat in Abuja, Eyinla described Nigeria’s elections as “Among the largest peacetime civil operations in the world,” noting the heavy financial, technological and logistical demands involved.
Professor Eyinla explained that the projected N870 billion reflects the scope of Nigeria’s electoral process, which includes more than 93 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and 1,558 electoral constituencies.
He said the estimate draws from past election spending: N109 billion (US$662 million) in 2015, N189 billion (US$619 million) in 2019, and N355 billion (US$628 million) in the 2023 elections.
Taking inflation, exchange rate movements and expanded operational needs into account, Eyinla said the N870 billion projection is realistic. He added that the cost translates to about US$6.72 per voter, which he noted is consistent with global benchmarks for emerging democracies.
He said, “In comparative terms, the cost of conducting a general election in Nigeria is among the lowest in Africa. For instance, in Kenya, the cost per voter was US$25.9 in 2017 and US$14.9 in 2022; in Ghana, US$13.1 in 2016 and US$7.7 in 2020; in South Africa, US$5.1 in 2019 and US$7.1 in 2024.
“In the Democratic Republic of Congo, US$22 and US$14.37 per voter in 2023; and in Liberia, US$22 per voter in 2023. This comparison is no less striking with India, the world’s largest democracy, where the cost was US$8.5 per voter in 2019.“
“Based on the prevailing US$ to Naira exchange rate at the time of each election, the cost of Nigeria’s previous three general elections was: N109 billion (US$662 million) in 2015, N189 billion (US$619 million) in 2019, and N355 billion (US$628 million) in 2023.
“Considering the current state of the economy, inflation, and the consumer price index from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), it is estimated that conducting the 2027 general election will require about US$600 million (approximately N870 billion), assuming INEC manages its resources prudently.”