Managing Electoral Logistics in Nigeria: Lessons from the 2023 Elections for INEC Officials

This study examines the logistical challenges encountered by the Independent National Electoral Commission during the 2023 general elections and derives management lessons applicable to improving electoral administration in future cycles. Effective electoral logistics, encompassing voter card distribution, polling material deployment, result management, and personnel coordination, are foundational to the credibility of democratic elections, yet systematic evaluations of electoral administration from a public management perspective remain limited in the Nigerian literature. Using a qualitative case study design, the study draws on post-election reports published by the commission, domestic observer mission evaluations, and interviews with commission staff at state and local levels across the North Central and South West geopolitical zones. The electoral management framework and the public administration theory of organisational learning are applied to analyse institutional responses to logistical failures. Findings reveal that the commission made notable operational improvements through the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, yet persistent challenges in result collation transmission, last-minute material shortfalls, and security threats to ad-hoc staff undermined performance in specific states. The study identifies gaps in contingency planning, inter-agency communication, and post-election review processes that reduce the commission's institutional learning from each electoral cycle. Recommendations include mandatory structured after-action reviews following each election, investment in a permanent national electoral logistics database, and enhanced inter-agency protocols for security deployment. Keywords: electoral logistics, INEC, 2023 elections, electoral management, public administration