Head of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) post-election mission, Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, has stated that lessons from Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections are crucial to strengthening electoral management across West Africa.

She stated this during a follow-up and needs assessment visit to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja yesterday.

Browne-Lansanah was accompanied by the Deputy Chairman (Corporate Services) of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Dr Bossman Asare; Acting Permanent Secretary of ECONEC and ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division Head, Serigne Mamadou Ka; and experts from GIZ, EISA, and International IDEA.

The meeting aimed at reviewing Nigeria’s implementation of recommendations made by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) following the 2023 General Election.

Speaking earlier, INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission had reviewed all recommendations made by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) following Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections.

According to Yakubu, INEC has taken steps on those within its administrative mandate while awaiting legislative action on others.

Yakubu said the observer mission had issued 37 recommendations, of which 13 were addressed to INEC and 24 to other institutions, including the National Assembly, security agencies, regulators, civil society organisations, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and political parties under the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Yakubu explained that INEC had acted on recommendations requiring administrative measures and incorporated them into its 142 reform proposals now before the National Assembly, while legal aspects remained under parliamentary review.

Stressing that elections are a multi-stakeholder responsibility, Yakubu commended ECOWAS for its continued support.

Browne-Lansanah, who is also chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, said the mission aimed to review Nigeria’s implementation of observer recommendations while drawing insights to improve regional electoral systems.

According to him, the mission seeks to learn what happened, understand how INEC navigated 2023 election challenges, and apply those lessons to strengthen election management bodies across West Africa.

Browne-Lansanah, who praised INEC for supporting electoral bodies within the sub-region, highlighting the role the commission played in equipping Liberia’s elections commission with a dedicated ICT facility.