INEC FCT begins six-week training for NYSC members ahead of 2026 elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission in the Federal Capital Territory (INEC FCT) has commenced a six-week intensive training programme for its National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, who constitute about 70 per cent of its ad hoc election workforce.

The training, which began on Thursday, December 4, 2025, is taking place across the six area councils of the FCT. It is aimed at strengthening the professionalism and technical capacity of corps members who will serve as poll officials in the 2026 area council elections.

Olugbenga Salami, head of voter education and publicity at INEC FCT, said the programme is part of the INEC-NYSC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and is being conducted at NYSC CDS centres in each area council to ensure accessibility for all participants.

He added that the decentralised format allows corps members to train within their primary places of assignment and gain a better understanding of the local contexts where they will operate on election day.

Read also: Technology has ended era of voter impersonation – INEC

The curriculum covers election technology operations, voter accreditation, result collation and transmission, security and conflict management, as well as ethical conduct and neutrality.

The training will run until mid-January 2026, after which participants are expected to be fully deployable for election duties across the FCT.

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC

Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications

She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet.

An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.

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