NOA, INEC pledge to deepen collaboration on voter education

National Orientation Agency (NOA) has pledged to deepen its collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to promote and improve voter education.

Garba Abari, the director-general of NOA made the pledge during a courtesy visit to the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu on Wednesday in Abuja, saying the collaboration was important in order to deepen the country’s democracy.

He said that while INEC had its special role in deepening democracy in Nigeria, NOA also had special mandate of promoting civic and voter education.

“We are not unaware of the role of INEC in area of mobilisation and education of voters. Part of our roles is also to promote civic and voter education. It is, therefore, important to improve on our collaboration in this area as democracy cannot improve when voters are living in ignorance,” Abari said.

He said that the agency was ready to synergise with INEC in all offices across the 774 local government areas in the country to promote voter education.

Yakubu, in his response, said that for credible election to be achieved, voters needed to be properly educated and mobilised, saying improved collaboration with NOA was a welcome development.

According to him, there are areas of voter education that falls within the mandate of INEC and some in that of NOA.

“Election is a process and we need partnership with agencies such as the NOA. The voters need to be educated, sensitised and mobilized, and these responsibilities are within the mandates of the commission and the NOA.

“Innovation has been introduced into the conduct of our elections with its peculiar challenge. So, we need to keep engaging with stakeholders constantly and also with the voters to enlighten and educate them,” Yakubu added.

He promised that INEC would continue to explore possible areas of collaborating with NOA, particularly in reviewing the electoral act.