How technology can enhance transparency in electoral process, by minister, perm sec

MINISTER of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, Monday stressed how election technology could be better institutionalised to ensure integrity and enhance transparency in the electoral process.

  The duo, who spoke Monday at a conference on technology and electoral process organised by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja, noted how developed nations had been accorded the use of technology in electoral process high priority. Such, they noted, had led to conduct of peaceful elections, transparency and wider participation of their citizenry. 

  Bulama stressed that election administrators in advanced nations had long utilised technology to help address some of their most pressing challenges.

  These, he said, include everything from voter registration and candidate nomination to voter identification and results transmission.

  “Implementing election technology in an effective way requires a clear understanding of the problems, an even clearer understanding of how technology can address those problems, and sufficient time to plan, test, and refine those technology-based solutions before rolling them out to the general population.

  The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, said that the conference was the first phase of a series of activities planned under the programme in enhancing the use of technology during the 2015 electoral process supported by the UNDP.

  She said: “This is the first time in the history of the ministry that attention is being focused on election and related issues vis-a-vis technology.”

  The minister further said: “After the controversy which trailed the 2007 and 2011 elections, the present administration promised to further equip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure more transparency in the country’s future elections. INEC therefore was given a monumental task of adopting an improved method to ensure a free and fair election in Nigeria in 2015. 

  “To achieve these objectives, INEC is utilising some major pieces of election technology which include Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), and Electronic Voter Identification (EVID). The BVR system, and the new voters list it generated as well as the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC), are meant to provide greater transparency and trust in the country’s voters’ list.

 “The social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Black Berry Messenger (BBM), WhatsApp, Linkeldin and Instagram, among others, can be deployed in enhancing the electoral processes, especially as it concerns ensuring quick transmission of results. These platforms could be used in spreading message of non-violence. Also, SMS based Results Transmission System (RTS) could be harnessed to provide a quick and efficient way for citizens to receive provisional results.

  “One of the key mandates of FMST is to create technology infrastructure and knowledge base to facilitate its wide application for development. This covers various sectors and sub-sectors of the economy including entrenchment of good governance with robust electoral process/system as a key element. Globally, innovative technologies have been deployed to ensure hitch free electoral processes.

  “It is against this background that the ministry secured the support of UNDP to execute a project with focus on sensitising Nigerians, especially the youths, on the use of technology in electioneering process.”