Nigeria stakeholders warn of AI disinformation risks for 2027 elections

Stakeholders preparing for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections have raised alarms regarding the rising threat of artificial intelligence-generated misinformation. During a virtual discussion organized by CEREDEMS Africa, the University of Ilorin, and RUDN University, experts warned that AI-driven content could undermine public confidence and electoral security.

Participants identified several forms of manipulated media, including deepfakes and ‘glowfakes’—positive AI-generated content used to artificially whitewash political identities. Some estimates suggest such content could impact over 90 per cent of the electorate. Previous incidents have already demonstrated the risk, such as AI-generated images of political figures and deepfake videos used to incite tensions following local attacks.

While technological solutions like Google’s SynthID exist, their effectiveness in Nigeria is limited by language barriers, as many political communications occur in Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo rather than English. In response, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) established a dedicated AI division in May 2025 to combat disinformation, while local organizations have developed tools like ElectionWatch to monitor falsehoods.