The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has expressed interest in learning from Nigeria’s electoral experience and innovations as part of efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and enhance the credibility of elections in Ethiopia.
Deputy Chairman of NEBE, Tesfaye Neway, made this known on Monday during a study visit to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
He said the mission was aimed at deepening institutional learning and fostering strategic partnerships between both electoral bodies.
“Our presence here is part of an experience and exposure visit designed to build strategic partnerships between our institutions. We believe democracy grows stronger when institutions learn from one another,” Neway said.
“We hope to learn from Nigeria’s innovations in voter registration, electoral technology, civic education, and stakeholder engagement, while also sharing challenges we face, such as electoral violence and misinformation.”
The Ethiopian delegation, which includes members of the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations for Elections (CECOE), is in Nigeria to understudy various aspects of the country’s electoral system, including planning, logistics, voter education, and technology deployment.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the visit as an opportunity for cross-border collaboration on electoral best practices, noting that Nigeria and Ethiopia share similar political and demographic complexities.
He observed that both countries are multi-ethnic and multi-religious federations, adding that Nigeria and Ethiopia together account for about a quarter of Africa’s population.
“In the area of election management, NEBE and INEC share similar constitutional responsibilities, which include conducting national and regional elections, registering and regulating political parties, monitoring election expenses, delimiting constituencies, creating polling units, accrediting observers, and conducting voter education,” Yakubu said.
He disclosed that the one-week engagement would feature nine technical sessions covering the entire electoral process, from strategic planning and constituency delimitation to inclusivity, technology deployment, and management of sensitive election materials.
“Over the next one week, we will share various aspects of the Nigerian experience with our visitors through nine technical sessions covering the entire gamut of the election process—from strategic plans and implementation to election monitoring, inclusivity, stakeholder engagement, and technology use in voter registration and candidate nomination,” he added.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of CECOE, Abera Hailemariam, underscored the crucial role of civil society in promoting electoral integrity and said Ethiopia is particularly interested in understanding how Nigeria conducts voter education in multiple languages across diverse communities.
“We value this partnership and look forward to deeper cooperation between NEBE and INEC, with the support of development partners,” Hailemariam said.
