Review Meeting of the Implementation of INEC / NURTW / NARTO MoU for Effective Logistics Delivery During Elections

As Nigeria look forward to the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced its preparations, engaging relevant stakeholders from different quarters. In an effort to conduct free, fair, and successful elections, the electoral umpire has been collaborating with relevant stakeholders across the country. This is the case of the MoU that was signed in 2018 between INEC and its logistics partners – NURTW and NARTO, with purpose of achieving effective and timely delivery of logistics during elections.

Recently, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung facilitated a meeting between INEC and its logistic partners – NURTW and NARTO, where they reviewed the implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The review meeting was mainly to identify and analyse the challenges encountered during the 2019 general elections, such as low supply of vehicles by NURTW, delay in payment by INEC Electoral Officials, lack of vehicle documents, delay in FRSC vehicle verification process, among others.

Despite all the identified challenges, majority of the stakeholders present at meeting agreed that the partnership between INEC and NURTW/NARTO has improved the country’s electoral processes. Thus, they all decided that the partnership should continue in order to aid timely delivery of electoral personnel and materials in the 2023 general elections.

To further address the gaps identified in the MoU, the stakeholders provide a series of recommendations, including urging NURTW and NARTO to create a portal that collates the drivers’ data, INEC should forge separate agreement with NURTW and NARTO, among others.