The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified poor telecommunications connectivity as the main obstacle to real-time election result uploads.

Speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said that despite significant progress through the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), uneven network coverage across the country continues to hinder seamless transmission of polling-unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

Represented at the event by National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, Prof. Amupitan acknowledged that while voter impersonation and multiple voting have been effectively curtailed, connectivity gaps in several regions remain a major challenge.

“With 176,846 polling units located in swamps, perched on mountains, and in remote communities, achieving real-time upload of polling unit results remains one of the toughest battles for transparency on Election Day,” he said. “A tool like the BVAS is only as effective as the network it operates on.”

He further explained that INEC would continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Communications Commission and network providers to address these challenges, while also exploring alternative technologies to bridge connectivity gaps.

Prof. Amupitan emphasized that the introduction of BVAS has effectively ended the longstanding problem of identity fraud in Nigeria’s elections. Addressing tech innovators, policymakers, and civil society representatives, he described the device as a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic process and a foolproof mechanism for voter verification.

“The BVAS device has become our frontline defense against identity fraud, ensuring that only eligible voters are accredited at polling units. With biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” he added.