The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), played host to a delegation from the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations for Elections (CECOE) at its national headquarters in Abuja on Monday 6th October, 2025.
NEBE and CECOE are in Nigeria’s election management body’s office on a study visit, facilitated by the German Agency for International Development (GIZ),
It is part of an ongoing exchange of electoral best practices aimed at strengthening democratic institutions in Africa.
Welcoming the delegation, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the visit as an “extraordinary engagement”.
Prof. Yakubu noted that it was the first time the Commission would host a joint delegation of both an electoral management body and a civil society coalition from another country.
“This visit is unique because, in the past, we interacted mainly with colleagues from electoral commissions.
“Today, we are hosting not just the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), led by its Deputy Chairman, Mr. Tesfaye Niwai, but also the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations for Elections (CECOE), representing over 180 civil society groups”, INEC Chairman said
He highlighted the shared values and democratic aspirations between Nigeria and Ethiopia, pointing out similarities in governance structures, diversity management, and election administration.
“Nigeria in West Africa and Ethiopia in East Africa share a lot in common. Both countries are multi-ethnic and multi-religious, operating a federal system of government to manage their diversity.
“With populations exceeding 135 million in Ethiopia and over 220 million in Nigeria, together we account for about a quarter of Africa’s total population,” he noted.
Prof. Yakubu further informed the visitors that the study tour coincides with the ongoing voter registration exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the Area Council elections slated for February 2026, offering the delegation a firsthand experience of voter registration operations in Nigeria.
“I urge you to freely interact with our officials and other critical stakeholders. We will also take the opportunity to learn from your experiences as we share ours,” he said.
Mr. Tesfaye Neway, Deputy Chairman of Ethiopia’s National Election Board, commended INEC for being Africa’s most credible and technologically advanced electoral bodies.
Neway stated that INEC has become a model of transparency, inclusivity, and innovation in election management.
“We are here to learn from Nigeria’s dynamic use of biometric registration, digital result transmission, and stakeholder engagement”, he said, while expressing Ethiopia’s readiness to replicate Nigeria’s successful electoral reforms.
Spark News reports that the one-week engagement will provide nine technical sessions designed to expose the Ethiopian delegation to various aspects of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The sessions will cover topics such as strategic election planning, monitoring and support systems, use of technology in voter registration, inclusivity for displaced persons and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), candidate nomination, observer accreditation, media engagement, and voter education.
Two GIZ officials were also among the visitors.