General
SERAP Wants Privacy Details of Election Data from INEC
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Mahmood Yakubu, has been urged to publish the details of safeguards and mechanisms put in place to protect the privacy and security of election information and data in the custody of the organisation, including in its servers, databases and other electronic formats.
This appeal was made by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated March 26, 2022.
In the document signed by SERAP deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged him to “clarify whether any third-party is involved in the collection, control, and use of election information and data, the legal rules and processes guiding the choice of any such third party”.
SERAP also urged him to “clarify the other location or locations where election information is stored apart from Abuja, and the details of any third-party who has access to such a database, the safeguards and contingency plans put in place by INEC to address any threats to the privacy and security of election information”.
“Ensuring adequate safeguards and mechanisms to protect the privacy and security of election information and data would improve the ability of INEC to effectively discharge its constitutional and statutory duties”.
SERAP said: “This would also help to remove risks of attack and unlawful interference by any unauthorised person with election information and data”.
According to SERAP, “Widely publishing the details of safeguards and mechanisms of election data and information would also contribute to improving the sanctity and integrity of the electoral process, and public trust and confidence in the process”.
The letter, read in part: “Putting in place adequate technological security measures to prevent unauthorized access to election information and data would improve the credibility of the electoral process and the enjoyment of people’s right to participate in their own government.
“As an institution, which collects, controls and uses election-related information and data in the discharge of its constitutional and statutory duties, INEC has a legal responsibility to ensure adequate protection of such information and data from threats and vulnerabilities to attack or interference.
“Any interference by unauthorised third party in election information and data may be used for corrupt, political and other unlawful purposes, and would expose election systems to fraud and meddling, as well undermine the right to participation and the country’s democratic system.
“The right of people to participate in their government is a fundamental feature of any democratic society, and any infringement of privacy and security of election information and data would strike at the heart of representative government.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.
“SERAP notes that voter registration systems and voting systems are the most vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation by corrupt politicians and other actors.
“As the experiences in other countries have shown, election information is often susceptible to unlawful interference by corrupt politicians and other actors, which can be damaging to the integrity of the electoral process and democratic practices.
“The experiences of other countries demonstrate the need for INEC to take effective and transparent measures to ensure and protect the privacy and security of election information and data, which would protect the integrity of the country’s democracy.
“Any privacy or security weakness in any component of any of the election systems can be easily exploited to cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral process.
“Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s international obligations including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.
“SERAP notes that Section 9(2)(a) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that INEC ‘shall keep the Register of Voters in its National Headquarters and other locations as the Commission may determine.’ The provision also states that INEC ‘shall keep the Register of Voters in electronic format in its central database.’
“Section 153 of the Act defines ‘electronic format’ to include ‘the electronic version of the Register of Voters or National Electronic Register of Election Results, as the case may be, created, recorded, transmitted or stored in digital form or in other intangible forms by electronic, magnetic or optical means or by any other means.”
The organisation said: “Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights protect against arbitrary or unlawful interference with one’s privacy.
“Interference with the privacy of election information and data would clearly undermine the security of any such information and data. Similarly, Article 9 (1) of the African Charter provides that, ‘Every individual shall have the right to receive information.
“Article 2(10) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance requires states parties including Nigeria to ‘promote the establishment of the necessary conditions to foster citizen participation, transparency, access to information, and accountability in the management of public affairs.’”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Monday said it is partnering with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to chart a path for African energy development.
A statement by the company noted that the partnership was discussed last week, when the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr Bashir Ojulari, received in audience the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Afreximbank, Mr George Elombi, at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.
NNPC said it set out its direction under the Enterprise First framework, positioning the company as a high-performance Partner of Choice built on execution and profitable growth.
Afterwards, both leaders agreed on a shared agenda for continental energy development and industrialisation, and to hold regular strategic sessions, the first session scheduled later in the year.
On financing, the state oil company said it led the discussion on the planned African Energy Bank (AEB), to be headquartered in Abuja, and confirmed its readiness to deepen its investment.
The Cairo-based lender was instrumental in the founding and funding of the energy bank that is soon to be operational.
Afreximbank affirmed its commitment to the company’s growth through risk-sharing, structured financing, and further refinancing to develop Nigeria’s oil and gas resources, the statement added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To close Nigeria’s $158 billion funding gap for 40 million small businesses, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has joined forces with MTN Nigeria to operate a platform known as mySMEville Academy.
The aim is to reach a target of 5 million MSMEs through the mySMEville Academy, e-commerce integrations, and national policy advocacy.
The platform was created as a one-stop shop for resources, with four core areas: information, funding, infrastructure, and markets, to support a sector that contributes 48 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) but remains largely underserved.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, SMEDAN visited MTN’s head office alongside Angola’s INAPEM, the National Institute of Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Angola’s agency is studying the collaboration between MTN and SMEDAN, which led to the launch of the mySMEville partnership in November 2025.
After a pilot in Lagos onboarded 200 businesses in December, the platform rapidly grew to include over 2,600 businesses nationwide by May 2026. This rapid expansion is essential given that 80 per cent of Nigerian SMEs are currently informal and only 3.9 per cent access formal credit, leaving a staggering $158 billion annual financing gap.
Emphasising the strategic necessity of this collaboration, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said, “Our goal is simple, we want to be the best technology partner out there, helping African businesses grow fast, compete globally, and make a real, lasting impact.”
Supporting this view, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, said the initiative represents the future of business on the continent, asserting that
“What we are witnessing here is a formidable force for economic progress. Through this deliberate Public-Private Partnership, Nigeria is aligning its public and private sectors to lead the way for Africa,” he stated.
On his part, the Senior Specialist for ICT Segment Management at MTN Business, Mr Olatunbosun Agosu, demonstrated with a live demo how the mySMEville platform, a joint effort by MTN and SMEDAN, is the “one-stop orchestrator” for Nigeria’s 40 million small businesses.
INAPEM’s Chairman, Mr Bráulio Augusto, confirmed that Angola intends to adapt the framework to its own economic reality, noting, “The key thing I learned here is the strength of the public and private sector partnership. mySMEville clearly shows what’s possible, and we will absolutely use these insights as we adapt this model back home in Angola.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Gas marketers have expressed worries about the scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), otherwise known as cooking gas, and rising prices, with consumers paying as high as N2,000 per kg in some areas.
A press statement by the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) raised concern about the erratic supply and the hike in the price of cooking gas across the country.
According to them, while prices have gone as high, they are forced to pay as much as N26 million for 20MT of cooking gas, depending on location.
“It is sad and rather very pathetic to inform the general public that the citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item at a prohibitive cost of over N1,500per kg, while the Marketers are made to pay as much as N25,200,000, or, depending on location, N26,200,000 for 20MT of cooking gas.
“We feel that if the situation is not immediately checked, the citizens may rise against the owners of gas filling stations.
“This sad situation has brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian households, small businesses, food vendors, and low-income families who rely on LPG for daily cooking and livelihood.
“It is rather worrisome to state that this situation is seriously eroding the substantial progress made by the Government on the usage of Clean Energy in the country,” a part of the statement said.
NALPGAM noted that its members face challenges in sourcing LPG due to persistent supply shortages, high depot prices, logistics bottlenecks, and uncontrollable rising operational costs.
“While millions of Nigerians have embraced cooking gas as a result of the national clean energy transition agenda, it is sad to state that those gains are at risk as households are struggling to refill cylinders, small businesses are folding under rising energy costs, while many families are reverting to firewood and charcoal despite the serious implications for public health, environmental degradation, and deforestation,” it said.
The association warned that if urgent and coordinated actions are not taken immediately, the current crisis could trigger broader consequences, including accelerated food inflation, the collapse of small-scale LPG retail businesses, job losses, reduced investor confidence, and a significant setback to Nigeria’s clean energy and climate commitments.
It called on the federal government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, domestic producers, terminal operators, international suppliers, and all critical stakeholders in the LPG value chain to take urgent, coordinated steps to stabilise the market before it degenerates further.
It called for immediate measures to improve the availability and accessibility of LPG nationwide, increased domestic LPG allocation to the Nigerian market, ensuring transparent and equitable distribution of available supply across regions, reduction of bottlenecks in product importation, storage, and distribution, implementation of strategic interventions to stabilise retail prices, and protection of consumers.
The marketers also called for other measures, such as investment in critical infrastructure, including storage and distribution facilities, and adoption of policies that support affordability, sustainability, and long-term growth of the sector.
NALPGAM reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and collaboration with government agencies, regulators, producers, and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions that will guarantee an affordable, stable supply and continued growth of the LPG sector.
“In conclusion, it is apposite to state that “We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly difficult and unaffordable. For years, Government and industry operators have worked to move Nigerians away from unsafe fuels. Those gains are now under serious threat”, the statement added.
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