By Musemil Abubakar
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended the ₦1.5bn fee charged for providing certified copies of the National Register of Voters and polling unit records requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
The request, filed by Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates on October 8, sought access to the full voter register for all 36 states and the FCT, as well as polling unit details nationwide.
INEC, in its October 13 reply, approved the request and outlined a total cost of ₦1,505,901,750, a figure that quickly drew public outrage online.
In a statement on Thursday, the commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the fee was strictly based on law and represents “the actual cost of document duplication and transcription,” as allowed under Section 8(1) of the FOI Act 2011.
INEC explained that the register contains 93.47 million voters, with 16 names per page, amounting to over six million pages. At ₦250 per page, its approved rate for Certified True Copies under Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022, the total comes to ₦1.5bn.
The commission stressed that the amount “reflects only production cost” and does not include any administrative or extra charges.
The clarification followed backlash after a letter signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, confirming the approval and payment directive, went viral on social media.
Critics have questioned the justification for such a high cost in an era of digital data, while others argue that the law requires physical certification for such official records.
INEC maintained it remains committed to “transparency, accountability, and responsible management of public resources.”
