By Nkechi E
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop for Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to strengthen archiving, cataloguing and documentation practices across the Commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The workshop, themed “Preserving Institutional Memory Through Effective Archiving and Documentation,” is being organised by the Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) Department and is holding in Abuja from Tuesday, September 22, to Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, represented by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, described archiving as a critical function of the Commission that had often been overlooked.
Haruna said proper preservation of records was essential for posterity, reference and lesson learning, noting that materials from previous election cycles were often left unpreserved in states.
He said the situation limited the Commission’s ability to conduct comparative analysis and build on lessons from previous elections.
“It is a key leg in the department that we have our archiving done properly, for posterity, for reference, for lesson learning,” Haruna said.
According to him, the newly established Graphics, Library and Documentation (GLD) Division was created to address the gaps in the Commission’s records management system.
He therefore charged the PAOs, who are expected to double as GLD Desk Officers in their respective states, to take the training seriously and ensure that the knowledge acquired is implemented upon their return.
“I want to enjoin us to please take this engagement and interaction seriously, so that by the time we go back to our respective states, we will be better prepared and positioned to begin to do the work of GLD,” he said.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, also stressed the importance of the workshop as the Commission prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Oketola urged the participants to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during the training in their respective states and become implementers of the Commission’s vision to adequately preserve its institutional memory.
The Deputy Director of Graphics, Library and Documentation, Perpetua Aligwara, described the training as a long-overdue return to standard practice in records management.
Aligwara said many states were unable to readily produce documented records of past Commission activities, a development she said undermined the credibility and institutional authority of INEC’s information officers.
“The Commission’s credibility rests as much on its memory as on its neutrality. You cannot defend a decision you can no longer explain,” she said.
She warned that undocumented practices could increase the risk of inconsistent application of guidelines across state and local offices, as well as expose the Commission to litigation and public trust challenges.
Quoting writer Adjori Augustine, Aligwara told participants that “what you don’t put down doesn’t exist,” stressing that documentation, rather than confidence alone, provides officers with the evidence required to defend the Commission’s decisions and institutional history.
She disclosed that the Commission would establish a central and secure archive covering election guidelines, results documentation, litigation records, post-election reviews and pictorial materials from its activities nationwide.
According to her, the initiative is essential to strengthening the Commission’s institutional memory and ensuring adequate preparation for the 2027 General Election.
The participants are expected to undergo practical sessions on digital documentation on the second day of the workshop, with further engagements planned to monitor implementation of the new archiving standards across the states ahead of the 2027 elections.
