In its latest new media and social listening analysis, the Centre reported a growing mix of public emotions, ranging from grief over persistent insecurity to anger at perceived leadership gaps, combined with a counter-current of government support.

CCC described this blend as a volatile compound sentiment spreading across digital and traditional platforms.

The study relied on PRrev, an automated AI driven media monitoring and social listening tool developed by IMPR, complemented by human intelligence.

It tracked narratives across mainstream and social media relating to security incidents, political developments, economic pressures, religious and ethnic tensions, human rights concerns, misinformation, electoral manipulation, hate speech, and conflict early warning signals.

The brief also incorporated regional community listening insights and an assessment of disinformation patterns affecting Nigeria’s socio political landscape.

The 42 page report, produced for Crisis Communication Hub (CCH) stakeholders, analysed conversations on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp groups, online news platforms, and diaspora driven forums.

It found that recent national events are increasingly triggering volatile public reactions shaped by both factual developments and coordinated falsehoods.

A key focus of the analysis was the March 16, 2026 triple suicide bombing in Maiduguri, which occurred just as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed for an official visit to the United Kingdom from March 17 to 19. CCC said the overlap of these events created what analysts termed a leadership legitimacy strain, with competing narratives dominating public discourse.

One of the strongest narratives online argued that national leaders should prioritise domestic crises over foreign engagements. CCC noted that this sentiment quickly evolved from political commentary into a viral moral judgement, blurring the line between opinion and fact.

A major highlight of the report was the uncovering of a high impact disinformation campaign tied to the unfolding events.

CCC revealed that PRNigeria’s fact checking team detected a fabricated statement falsely attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump, purportedly criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his trip to the United Kingdom following the Maiduguri suicide bombings.

The fake statement spread rapidly across social media, garnering more than 500,000 views and over 5,200 reposts before corrective information could gain comparable visibility.

CCC warned that the speed, reach, and coordination behind the fake news narrative reflect the growing sophistication of disinformation networks operating within Nigeria’s digital space.

“The incident represents one of the most consequential disinformation spikes in Nigeria’s emerging 2027 pre election environment,” the report stated.

The analysis also highlighted a widening gap between official communication and public perception, especially during national crises.

CCC observed that delayed or inconsistent government responses often create information vacuums quickly filled by speculation, misinformation, and emotionally charged narratives.

In today’s hyperconnected environment, the report stressed, timeliness, clarity, and credibility of official communication are critical to shaping public trust.

CCC identified five dominant narrative streams shaping public discourse: leadership accountability versus political loyalty; national security concerns versus diplomatic priorities; public grief amplified by digital outrage; diaspora driven narratives influencing domestic perception; and disinformation campaigns exploiting emotional vulnerabilities.

The Centre warned that the intersection of insecurity, distrust, and disinformation poses a significant threat to national cohesion as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.

CCC cautioned that unchecked fake news could deepen divisions, erode institutional credibility, and undermine democratic processes.

The report called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s crisis communication architecture, including real-time digital monitoring systems, strengthened fact-checking mechanisms, improved inter-agency coordination, and strategic engagement with media and digital influencers.

It also urged stakeholders to prioritise media literacy and public awareness to help citizens identify and resist false information.

CCC concluded that the current media environment (tackling Fake news) offers a preview of the challenges likely to define Nigeria’s pre elections landscape.

“The convergence of insecurity, political narratives, and digital misinformation is no longer incidental, it is systemic,” the report warned.

It stressed that without proactive intervention, Nigeria could face a deeper crisis of public trust as the election season approaches.

The findings underscore the urgent need for credible, transparent, and technology-driven communication strategies to safeguard national stability in the digital age.

The election, conducted fully online, recorded one of the highest turnouts in the institute’s recent history.

Out of 348 registered members, 314 were accredited to vote, and 301 valid ballots were counted. Oyeyemi secured 177 votes, defeating Anthony Onoharigho Akpoje, who polled 124. The results were confirmed by Rakiya Nuhu, Chairperson of the 2025 National Council Election Committee.

“Accordingly, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, FCILT is hereby declared the duly elected National President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria for the 2025–2027 term,” she announced.

Other council positions, including those of Vice Presidents, Mode Representatives, and the Diversity & Inclusion Officer, were returned unopposed.

Juliana Saka was returned as Deputy National President with 284 votes, while the vice presidencies went to Sani Mathew (North, 233 votes), Dr Monday Ezechukwu (East, 234 votes), and Elisha Ebah (West, 238 votes). 

Mode representatives included Dr Ajao Oluseyi for Logistics and Supply Chain, Salim Bello for Maritime, Dr William Odemwingie for Pipeline, Abdulganiyu Tijani for Road, Dauda Olabayo for Railway, and Rosemary Audu for Aviation, who polled one of the highest votes with 273. 

In addition, Queen Ajayi was chosen as Diversity and Inclusion Leader, securing 279 votes. The newly elected officers will be sworn in at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on October 23, 2025 at the Civic Centre, Lagos.

Transformation Agenda: CILT Nigeria Finetuned

Oyeyemi’s presidency will be driven by a reform blueprint tagged “CILT Nigeria Finetuned”. The programme sets commendable targets:

• Growing membership by 60% and doubling corporate participation in four years.
• Establishing a Road Transport Sector Council to improve collaboration with regulators such as FRSC and transport unions.
• Introducing bridging courses and professional conversion tracks for fleet managers, safety officers, and logistics SMEs.
• Deploying “Transport Champions” in every Nigerian state to mentor and recruit new members.

The agenda shows a vision to place Nigeria at the top when it comes to logistics, professional training, and transport standards. It also aligns with CILT International’s broader objectives and the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO), where Oyeyemi has long played a central role.

Track Record in Public Service

Before this election, Oyeyemi had built a reputation as a reformer. During his tenure at the FRSC, the agency became the first law enforcement institution in Africa to earn ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification. The World Bank later named the FRSC “the best example of a road safety lead agency in Africa.”

His leadership also saw Nigeria consolidate its influence within WARSO, strengthening regional cooperation on traffic safety and logistics development.

Oyeyemi, who holds a doctorate in public administration, has been recognised with multiple awards, including the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2006, the National Productivity Order of Merit (2015), and the LEADERSHIP Newspaper’s Public Officer of the Year Award in the same year.

Continuity and Expansion

Dr Oyeyemi succeeds Mfon Usoro, who broadened CILT Nigeria’s reach through advocacy, professional development, and gender inclusion initiatives. His presidency is expected to deepen partnerships with government, academia, unions, and international development agencies, while also enhancing digital platforms for training and certification.

For CILT Nigeria members, the expectation is that Oyeyemi must turn his track record in reform and standard-setting into measurable results that can reposition the sector locally and globally.

Zaheer Ebrahim, Solutions Architect at Trend Micro MEA, gives some insight into how this new technology will better support bad actors and how to lookout for what’s real and what’s fake.

There are over 60 countries hosting elections this year, with some 20 elections taking place in Africa. And while South Africa awaits the election date announcement, campaigning by political parties will progressively become more intense with artificial intelligence (AI) expected to play a major role.

It’s predicted that the recent advancements in generative AI will make it harder for people to spot the difference between fake news and misleading information.

The World Economic Forum has even declared misinformation powered by generative AI as a top risk facing the world in 2024.

Over the last year, there have been numerous examples of how AI tools are being used to produce fake images and videos of well-known public figures. Images of the Pope Francis in a white puffer coat and former US President Donald Trump being arrested circulated the internet in early 2023.

More recently, a sexually explicit deepfake video of Taylor Swift was doing the rounds on X, which caused the social media platform to halt searches for the popstar to prevent the video from spreading. Given how real they can look, AI-generated media used to sway public opinion is cause for concern.

Spot the difference

At first glance these images and videos can seem very real, but upon closer inspection, there are some telltale signs. The first being that AI-generated content has imperfections.

This can sometimes be seen in the subject’s hands or in objects that are not fully formed. Often the images seem to have an inconsistent quality and can appear blurry with a glossy effect.

In AI-generated videos, people often don’t blink and make unnatural movements.

There are of course programmes being developed and used to detect whether images and videos are real or not, but it will mostly be up to audiences to make up their own minds.

So before you forward on that image or video to the next WhatsApp family group or share to social media, consider if it’s AI generated or real. Ask where the video is from and can the source be trusted.

Stay vigilant

While the country gets ready to vote, cybercriminals are considering different ways they can exploit this opportunity.

A national election is the kind of major event that cybercriminals will look to gather people’s personal information.

And with the help of generative AI, social engineering scams are becoming more sophisticated. In fact, Trend Micro’s latest research has found that AI-generated media will give rise to more polished and persuasive phishing scams.

In the run up to the elections, South Africans are being asked to check that they are registered to vote. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has made it possible for voters to register online via elections.org.za and check where they are registered to vote by simply entering their ID number into the website.

During this time, it’s possible that we will see an increase in SMS and email phishing scams with bad actors posing as the IEC to gather personal information such as ID numbers, home addresses and phone numbers.

It’s therefore important to stay safe and be wary of any website, email or SMS that asks users to click on a link and share personal information.

Rather than clicking on a link from a social media site, email or message, type the address into the browser. Clicking on unknown links can send you to a phishing website looking to collect your details.

After typing in the address, double check that the website is secure by looking for a padlock next to the link.

You can also see if the website link starts with ‘https’ – the ‘s’ indicates that a site is secure. If you’re still unsure, contact the IEC directly to verify the website address.

In addition to checking the website address and staying away from unsolicited links on email, it’s vital that your device’s security software is up to date. This line of defence will help to scan your device for any malicious activities.

As with any new technology, there is an unknown set of risks. We are learning more about how generative AI can be used by both cyber defenders and attackers.

In the meantime, staying one step ahead of these bad actors through constant vigilance can go a long way to being safe and secure online.

These elections are a critical time for Nigerians, as they present an opportunity for citizens to have their voices heard and to shape the future of their country.

To help you stay informed and engaged, we’ve put together a list of five essential online tools that you can use during the election season. These tools will help you stay up-to-date on the latest election trends, find information on the candidates and their policies, and get directions to your polling station, ensuring that you are ready and empowered to make your voice heard.

1. Find at-a-glance elections information 

To make it easier to stay up-to-date on the upcoming elections, we’ve launched new information panels in Nigeria on Search.

When Nigerians search for “Nigeria Elections” on Google, they can quickly find relevant and authoritative information including key dates, the latest news and polling information from trusted sources.

2. Nigeria Elections Trends Page

To help people understand how and what users are searching for in the lead up to the election, we have launched a dedicated Google Trends election page.

With this tool, you can stay informed about the most searched election topics, and view insights from across the country. You can use the tool to compare the search interest in different candidates, parties, and issues.

3. Livestream on YouTube on elections day or watch past debates or town halls

YouTube is a helpful resource for those who want to stay informed about the elections. You can watch past debates and town halls on YouTube to get a better understanding of the candidates and their policies. News providers can also provide live election coverage through their YouTube channels.

4. Google Doodle 

For the Nigeria elections, Google will be featuring a special elections Doodle, which when clicked, will connect you to the elections information panels.

This page provides you with the most relevant and up-to-date information on the elections, pulled from trusted parties.

The Doodle is a fun and creative way to learn about the election candidates and their policies, while highlighting important issues and events related to the election.

5. Find Your Polling Station using Google Maps

To find out where your polling station is, you can use the INEC portal here. Once you have located your polling station, you can enter the address into Google Maps and get directions to the location. You can also use Google Maps to find out information about the area around the polling station before you even leave home. This tool can save you time and ensure that you arrive at your polling station on time.

This was revealed by INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu at the inaugural briefing for the 2023 elections in Abuja on Thursday.

A breakdown of the figures revealed that Lagos has the most PVCs collected, with 6,214,970. Kano comes in second with 5,594,193 and Kaduna comes in third with 4,164, 473.

He stated that the current voter register contains over 94 million voters, but that the Commission will continue to clean it up using technology in the future.

According to him, of the number, 93.3 percent have collected their PVCs while 6,259,229 cards — which is 6.7 percent of PVCs — are still uncollected.

Summary of the Registered Voters ahead of the #NigeriaDecides2023 election;
✓ Number of Collected PVCs = 87,209,007
✓ Number of Uncollected PVCs = 6,259,229 collected

The INEC chairman further revealed that a total of 1,642,385 polling units and collation center agents of political parties will participate in the elections.

He also disclosed that the Commission has fully recovered from the recent attacks on her facilities in some states.

He raised concerns about vote buying but was hopeful that the vices will be dealt with. He stated that voters are not allowed to go to the voting cubicle with their phones.

Noting that all materials have been distributed to states, he said the sensitive materials are currently being delivered to local government areas. He said that nonsensitive materials were deployed two months ago.

The INEC chairman reiterated that 240 polling units do not have voters, but added that the staff who will be deployed for the elections has been trained.

He assured that the commission will closely monitor staff behavior and will sanction anyone who jeopardizes the process.

Yakubu also stated that the Commission is pleased with the BVAS’s performance following a mock accreditation exercise a few weeks ago. He also stated that backup technicians for the BVAS were deployed for the election.

According to Yakubu, the purpose of the daily briefing is to keep stakeholders informed as events unfold in the run-up to and during the election.