The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced training for state coordinating supervisors of its Electoral Operations Support Centre (EOSC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a post shared on INEC’s official X account on Wednesday, the training was said to be organised by the commission’s Electoral Operations Department, is aimed at equipping the supervisors with the knowledge and practical skills required to coordinate EOSC activities and train personnel who will support electoral operations during the elections.

According to INEC, participants were charged with strengthening timely reporting, information verification and effective escalation of incidents.

Speaking on behalf of the Director of Electoral Operations, Isa Magaji, the Deputy Director, Operations, Jibril B. Mohammed, described the training as an important step towards building teams capable of providing timely and reliable operational support across the country.

He said the EOSC would help the commission understand developments from the field and ensure that emerging operational challenges were promptly brought to the appropriate authorities for action.

Mohammed said every report received through the EOSC represented a real situation affecting electoral personnel, materials, processes or voters.

“Every report represents a situation affecting people,” he said, noting that issues such as delayed appointments and transportation difficulties could affect the smooth conduct of elections.

He urged the state coordinating supervisors to provide clear direction and exercise sound judgement while supervising their teams, adding that they would also be responsible for transferring the knowledge gained during the training to personnel at the state level.

Mohammed said the success of the training would ultimately be measured by how effectively the personnel trained by the participants perform their duties during the 2027 elections.

He also urged participants to actively engage in the sessions, ask questions and share experiences to resolve potential operational challenges ahead of the elections.

According to him, participants were expected to leave the training with a stronger understanding of EOSC responsibilities, reporting procedures, information verification, incident escalation and follow-up processes.

He particularly stressed the importance of accuracy and timeliness in operational reporting, saying effective reports should clearly state what happened, where and when it occurred, the action already taken and the status of the incident.

Mohammed also urged participants to treat field officers with calmness, respect and helpfulness, particularly when they are working under pressure.

He appreciated the facilitators, sponsors and partners involved in the training and urged participants to make the sessions practical and focused on situations they could encounter during the 2027 general election.