The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has expressed keen interest in Nigeria’s electoral experience and technological innovations as part of efforts to strengthen Ethiopia’s democratic institutions and enhance the credibility of its elections.
Deputy Chairman of NEBE, Tesfaye Neway, revealed this on Monday during a study visit to the headquarters of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. The visit is aimed at fostering institutional learning and building strategic partnerships between the two electoral bodies.
“Our presence here is part of an experience and exposure visit designed to build strategic partnerships between our institutions. We believe democracy grows stronger when institutions learn from one another,” Neway said.
He highlighted the delegation’s focus on Nigeria’s advancements in voter registration, electoral technology, civic education, and stakeholder engagement, while also sharing Ethiopia’s own challenges, including electoral violence and misinformation.
The Ethiopian delegation includes members of the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations for Elections (CECOE) and is studying various facets of Nigeria’s electoral system, including planning, logistics, voter education, and technology deployment.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, described the visit as an important opportunity for cross-border collaboration on electoral best practices. He noted that Nigeria and Ethiopia share significant political and demographic complexities as multi-ethnic and multi-religious federations, together representing about a quarter of Africa’s population.
“In the area of election management, NEBE and INEC share similar constitutional responsibilities, which include conducting national and regional elections, registering and regulating political parties, monitoring election expenses, delimiting constituencies, creating polling units, accrediting observers, and conducting voter education,” Yakubu said.
He added that the one-week engagement would include nine technical sessions covering the entire electoral process—from strategic planning and constituency delimitation to inclusivity, technology deployment, and management of sensitive election materials.
“Over the next one week, we will share various aspects of the Nigerian experience with our visitors through nine technical sessions covering the entire gamut of the election process—from strategic plans and implementation to election monitoring, inclusivity, stakeholder engagement, and technology use in voter registration and candidate nomination,” Yakubu explained.
Also addressing the delegation, CECOE Executive Director Abera Hailemariam emphasized the critical role of civil society in ensuring electoral integrity. He noted Ethiopia’s particular interest in Nigeria’s approach to conducting voter education in multiple languages across diverse communities.
“We value this partnership and look forward to deeper cooperation between NEBE and INEC, with the support of development partners,” Hailemariam said.
This exchange underscores a growing spirit of collaboration between African democracies aimed at improving electoral transparency and fostering democratic growth across the continent.
