Nigeria’s electronic election plan rests on fiber, 774 satellites

Nigeria’s push to transmit election results electronically ahead of the 2027 general elections is shifting from a legal reform debate to an infrastructure race, one that increasingly hinges on a 90,000-kilometre fibre rollout and a satellite connectivity plan spanning all 774 local government areas.

On February 10, 2026, the Senate unanimously amended the Electoral Act to mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV portal, following statutory procedures at each station.

The move reversed an earlier rejection and responded to mounting pressure from civil society and reform advocates who argued that manual collation leaves room for interference.

While lawmakers have now settled the legal question, the operational question remains unresolved: can Nigeria’s network infrastructure reliably support nationwide electronic transmission?

Under the amendment, electronic upload is required, but paper Form EC8A remains the fallback where network connectivity fails. That caveat reflects a persistent digital divide. Broadband penetration currently stands at roughly 50 percent to 52 percent, below the 70 percent target in the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), more than 23 million Nigerians, largely in rural and underserved communities, still lack basic mobile connectivity.

Urban internet access hovers around 57 percent, compared with roughly 23 percent in rural areas. Thousands of communities, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria and riverine southern regions, remain unserved or underserved. Insecurity in some areas has also slowed tower deployment and fibre maintenance.

The network mix further complicates matters. While 4G now accounts for more than half of active subscriptions, approximately 37 percent to 38 percent of connections remain on 2G networks, with 3G at about six percent and 5G below six percent. Although electronic transmission of scanned result sheets does not require ultra-fast speeds, it does require stable data capability, something 3G and above can provide far more reliably than legacy 2G systems.

Recognising these constraints, the federal government has accelerated its digital infrastructure agenda.

Speaking at the ‘Flagship Nigeria: Electrification + Connectivity Convening’ in Abuja on February 11, 2026, Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, outlined what he described as Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure expansion drive.

The programme includes a 90,000-kilometre nationwide fibre-optic rollout, deployment of 3,700 additional telecom towers in rural areas, and the procurement of two new communication satellites.

Tijani said the projects are expected to connect approximately 20 million currently unconnected Nigerians beginning from 2027 as they come online.

“Our role as a ministry, I will not speak to the elections, but my role is to deepen digital infrastructure. And we’ve been very clear about the fact that this is what the President has asked us to do,” Tijani said when asked about the link between infrastructure investments and electronic result transmission.

Beyond fibre and towers, satellite connectivity may prove decisive.

NigComSat’s “Project LG 774” aims to extend satellite-based broadband to all 774 local government areas. Designed to reach communities where terrestrial fibre or tower deployment is commercially difficult or geographically challenging, the initiative could create reliable connectivity hubs at the local government level, including in regions where polling units currently depend on weak or non-existent signals.

Progress includes connectivity established to around 45 to 50 local government secretariats across several states (such as early coverage in Kogi State with LGAs like Bassa, Kabba/Bunu, Lokoja, Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Kogi, Mopamuro, and Dekina, plus expansions into states like Borno, Cross River, Imo, Kwara, Ogun, Sokoto, and Zamfara), alongside about 200 rural communities linked to 2G/3G services in recent months. The full nationwide coverage of all 774 LGAs—spanning every state and the Federal Capital Territory—is targeted for completion by the end of 2026, prioritising rural and previously unserved or underserved regions to enable better e-governance, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities at the grassroots level.

If integrated into election logistics, these satellite-backed local government centres could function as secure upload hubs. Polling units in no-signal zones could transmit results via short-range connectivity or physical transfer to nearby satellite-enabled centres for onward electronic upload to INEC’s portal. Temporary satellite deployments during election periods could provide additional redundancy in high-risk or remote areas.

Jane Egerton-Idehen, the managing director and CEO of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), has underscored the transformative potential of the Project 774 LG Connectivity initiative in bridging Nigeria’s digital divide.

Egerton-Idehen highlighted how satellite internet deployed under the project—alongside the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator Programme—is actively improving access to essential services for millions in underserved areas. She emphasized that the effort targets connecting all 774 local government area secretariats with reliable high-speed broadband via the NigComSat-1R satellite, noting that phases have already linked around 200 rural communities to 2G and 3G services, with plans to expand to additional local governments and achieve full nationwide coverage by the end of 2026.

Egerton-Idehen stressed that this connectivity serves as a gateway to enhanced education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and inclusive development, stating that every Nigerian, regardless of location, deserves quality internet to unlock national progress and reduce dependence on foreign satellite capacity.

Still, timing presents a challenge. Many fibre, tower and satellite projects are expected to deliver their full impact beginning in 2027, the same year Nigerians are due to vote. Whether rollout schedules can be accelerated or strategically prioritised around polling clusters remains a key operational consideration.

International precedents suggest that universal broadband is not a prerequisite for credible electronic systems. India uses offline electronic voting machines powered by batteries and supported by voter-verifiable paper audit trails, eliminating reliance on live connectivity. The Philippines combines local vote counting with hybrid transmission, using 3G, GPRS, satellite or physical data transfer where signals are absent. Brazil similarly relies on secure, self-contained machines with controlled transmission protocols.

The common thread is redundancy.

For Nigeria, that redundancy may lie in blending fibre backbone expansion, rural tower deployment, targeted 3G upgrades in polling clusters, and satellite-enabled local government hubs under the 774 connectivity initiative. Rather than waiting for nationwide high-speed coverage, the country could build layered safeguards into its transmission chain.

The Senate has provided the legal framework for electronic transmission. Delivering it nationwide will depend less on legislation and more on whether fibre lines are laid, towers erected, and satellite links activated in time.

As 2027 approaches, Nigeria’s electronic election plan is no longer just a policy ambition; it is an infrastructure test.