Development of a Digital Voter Education Platform for the Independent National Electoral Commission in Niger State

Low voter awareness of electoral processes and rights in Niger State contributes to voter apathy and susceptibility to electoral manipulation, particularly in rural communities. This study presents the development of a digital voter education platform designed to support the Independent National Electoral Commission's voter education activities in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. The platform was developed as a Progressive Web Application using Vue.js and a Firebase backend, enabling both online and cached offline access. Content modules cover voter registration steps, identification requirements, voting procedures, and reporting electoral irregularities, presented in English and Nupe language with multimedia elements. A gamification module with quizzes and certificates of completion was added to improve engagement. Requirements were gathered through focus group discussions with 20 INEC voter education officers and 30 community members across Minna, Bida, and Suleja. The platform was tested with 120 community participants across four LGAs over three weeks. Pre- and post-interaction knowledge assessments showed a mean improvement of 38 percent in voter knowledge scores. Module completion rates averaged 71 percent. The study concludes that interactive digital platforms can supplement INEC's traditional voter education campaigns and are particularly effective when content is delivered in local languages. Recommendations include extending the platform to USSD-based access for feature phone users in rural Niger State.

Keywords: voter education, digital platform, Niger State, INEC, civic technology