Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has submitted a proposed budget of ₦873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections. The commission also requested ₦171 billion for its 2026 operations, including bye-elections and off-season polls.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan presented these figures to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja. The proposals comply with the Electoral Act 2022, which requires election budgets to be prepared at least one year in advance.
2027 Election Budget Breakdown (₦873.78 billion total)
Operational costs- N379.75 Billion
Administrative costs – N92.32 Billion
Technological costs – N209.21 Billion
Election capital costs – N154.91 Billion
Miscellaneous expenses – N42.61 Billion
This represents a significant increase from the ₦313.4 billion released for the 2023 general elections.
2026 Operations Budget Proposal (₦171 billion requested)
Personnel costs – N109 Billion
Overheads – N18.7 Billion
Election-related activities – N42.63 Billion
Capital expenditure – N1.4 Billion
The Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of only ₦140 billion, which INEC says is insufficient due to the need for urgent and flexible funding.
