Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially commenced the construction of a new annex building for its national headquarters in Abuja, a move aimed at alleviating severe congestion at its existing facilities. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the new office on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, highlighted the long-standing challenge of inadequate office accommodation during the ceremony. He explained that the current headquarters, commissioned in December 1997, was originally designed for eight Commission members, ten departments, and a staff of 500. Today, however, INEC’s national headquarters operates with 13 full-time Commission members, 22 departments, and 1,048 staff. This significant increase has led to facilities being “severely congested” and “overstretched,” with even general staff meetings frequently held outside the premises. To cope, the Commission has been compelled to rent two additional buildings in Wuse Zone II.
Professor Yakubu noted that this project marks the third time in 34 years that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has stepped in to provide or expand office accommodation for the electoral body. The FCDA previously provided offices when INEC relocated its headquarters from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, and later constructed the current main headquarters.
The proposed annex building, whose concept was developed by INEC’s technical department, will feature new offices, meeting rooms, conference facilities, and a 1,000-seat auditorium. It will also house critical IT-based facilities, including the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC). Notably, the building plan incorporates a museum dedicated to preserving the physical and digital history of elections and electoral activities in Nigeria. This initiative aims to offer citizens, particularly students on educational visits, an opportunity to understand the evolution of the country’s electoral history, consistent with practices in many jurisdictions globally.
The new building is intended to complement the existing headquarters. Professor Yakubu expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for his personal presence and for facilitating the project, which he described as the realisation of nearly a decade of persistent effort. He also extended appreciation to other senior government officials, parliamentary leaders, political party chairmen, and stakeholders present for their support.
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