INEC Launches Capacity‑Building Workshop for Electoral Officials Ahead of Osun Gubernatorial Election

To prepare for the upcoming August 15 governorship election in Osun, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has instructed its personnel to operate at peak efficiency throughout the electoral cycle.

Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun, delivered the directive during the opening of a two‑day capacity‑building workshop for Electoral Officers and Assistant Electoral Officers in the state on Tuesday.

She explained that the workshop aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out their duties efficiently at all stages of the election.

"The expected outcome of the workshop is to ensure and build the capacity of Electoral Officers and Assistant Electoral Officers ahead of the election. The commission expects them to perform effectively before, during and after the polls,"

She added that the training would cover pre‑election tasks such as recruiting temporary staff and managing logistics.

"We are also training them on recruitment and the use of INEC processes for the recruitment of ad hoc staff, as well as logistics, which has to do with the distribution of personnel and materials for the election,"

Babalola noted that election management would be a key component of the curriculum, focusing on result handling and strategies to tackle potential challenges during the electoral process.

"We are also training them on election management. We are going to go into a lot of detail about result management and addressing challenges,"

She also revealed that the program would address communication management during elections and the monitoring of electoral activities to guarantee smooth polling.

The agenda includes sessions on technology and the application of various digital tools in elections.

She described the workshop as an internal preparatory exercise preceding a larger technical training planned by the commission, stating that it would give participants a solid foundation in election administration before the technical sessions begin.

"So these are all the areas and, at the end of it, we are going to do a technical session because this workshop is like an in‑house workshop ahead of the training session that the Commission is planning, so that by the time we have our technical training, they would have enough knowledge of election administration,"

Babalola expressed confidence that attendees would apply the skills learned during the workshop in their official duties.

"I also expect them to carry out their duties the way they should be carried out before, during and after the election. We expect them to know what they are doing and perform very well,"

Attendees comprised Heads of Departments, Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers, and Heads of Units.