Nigeria’s network coverage sufficient for e-transmission – Telcos, experts

When President Bola Tinubu was reacting to the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 on Wednesday, February 18, he questioned the quality of Nigeria’s broadband connectivity to withstand the real-time electronic transmission of polling results to INEC’s IReV portal without failing.

“When you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigeria should question our broadband capability, how technically are we today, how technically will we be tomorrow, to answer the call of either real-time or not,” he said. 

He went on to explain how the individual voting process and the entering of results into the electronic systems are all manual processes. 

The President signed the amended Electoral Act 2022 into law, which has generated heated debate since the bill’s passage in the House of Representatives. 

One thing stood out: Debate over the capacity for real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results. 

Although lawmakers adopted the law requiring the real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results, they included a clause allowing manual Form EC8A sheets to be used as the primary record if networks fail. This came despite protests for a mandatory e-transmission.

The clause has raised concern over the possible falsification of polling unit results and a likely trick that corrupt officials might use to change figures. It was seen as a defeat for transparency and free and fair elections. 

Critics such as Peter Obi, Omoleye Sowore and Oby Ezekwesili have called on the President and Lawmakers to review the law and make real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results mandatory. They warned that anything less would translate to manipulative risks that undermine democracy and are the worst enemies of good governance.

Also Read: All you should know about the controversial Electoral Bill Amendment.

Electronic transmission and Nigeria’s network capacity 

While the President raised concerns over the capacity of Nigeria’s connectivity to transmit results live without network glitches, telecom operators had earlier assured that Nigeria has the infrastructural capacity.

Speaking to the media earlier this week, Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said Nigeria has sufficient network coverage to support the electronic transmission of results to INEC’s iREV and collation centres. He noted that any assessment of the Nigerian coverage strength not sourced from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should be disregarded. 

Adebayo pointed out that the lowest network (2G) is strong enough to transmit results electronically. He noted that telecom infrastructure and investment cannot be a reason why real-time e-transmission of results will be pegged.

“As we speak today, over 70% of the country is covered by 3G and 4G networks, 5G has reached about 11 per cent coverage, while the remaining areas are on 2G,” Adebayo said.

According to Industry data, 4G network holds a market share of 52.95%, followed by 2G at 37.37%. 3G stands at 5.91% while 5G network is still distant at 3.77% coverage. 

Adebayo acknowledges challenges in about two states where insurgency has limited telecom operators’ ability to maintain facilities. However, he maintained that such issues, linked to insecurity, should be debated and resolved by stakeholders rather than being a reason to reject e-transmission.

“That is what all stakeholders can sit together and decide how to cover,” noting that “It’s not enough to say the country is not ready.”

Aside from telecom operators, INEC had previously dismissed such concerns ahead of the 2023 general elections. The agency noted then that when network challenges arise, results uploaded to iREV would transmit automatically once the device regains coverage. 

A question of accountability and transparency 

Under the same light, experts claimed that technology, at this age, is not Nigeria’s problem. They pointed out that Nigerians want their result to be reflected in the limelight (e-transmission) and changed in the darkness. 

Former INEC Director, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, during a live conversation on Channels TV on Wednesday, pointed out that the entire conversation revolves around accountability and transparency. He noted that neither the senators nor the politicians opposing e-transmission are aware of this. 

“And they forget, or mischievously, they don’t recall that we’ve passed that stage,” he added.

Oluwole stressed that the technical committee set up between INEC and the NCC eight years ago gave figures to show that with 2G, 3G and 4G coverage was more than 93% coverage. He stressed that “it makes no sense” for the government to reject e-transmission based on network coverage.

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