The UN has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic journey, describing the nation’s electoral success as a critical benchmark for the stability and progress of the African continent.

The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, stated this when he led a delegation to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja.

Congratulating the INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, on his appointment, Mr Fall said the world is expecting to learn from Nigeria, due to its demographic weight and  its electoral processes.

Mr Fall, who previously served as a UNICEF representative in Nigeria, noted that elections were not merely operational but a vital part of the development process.

He highlighted the UN’s ‘Leave No One Behind’ principle, stressing the need to include youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

Elsie Attafuah, the UN Development Programme resident representative, said that the UN looked forward to continued  support and working hand-in-hand with INEC  at crucial times.

Ms Attafuah noted the long-standing partnership between the UN and INEC, dating back to 1999, even earlier.

Ms Attafuah noted that the UN supports approximately 60 elections globally every year and is keen on leveraging  existing programs on human rights, gender equality and parliamentary development to assist Nigeria.

Mr Amupitan commended the UN’s renewed partnership with INEC. He identified public trust, voter apathy, and insecurity as the primary challenges facing Election Management Bodies in Africa.

He requested UN assistance in the areas of voter education to combat voter apathy and to combat disinformation.

Mr Amupitan also listed other support needed to include the strengthening of  the commission’s Gender and Inclusivity  Department to better serve PWDs.

Mr Amupitan, informed the UN delegation that INEC was taking proactive steps to clean the national voters’ register  and remove deceased persons and  all duplicates.

He cited the recent conduct of Abuja council elections and upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in June and August as testing grounds for improved result transmission technology and logistics tracking.

(NAN)