I. The Evolution of Radio – World and Nigerian Trajectories
Global arc of radio
Early 20th century:
Radio emerged as a mass medium, transforming politics, culture, and instant communication.
Mid-20th century:
National broadcasting corporations became instruments of nation-building and information sovereignty.
Late 20th to early 21st century:
Convergence with digital technologies, satellite delivery, and the rise of community and diaspora broadcasting, expanding access and participation.
Nigeria’s broadcasting milestones:
Colonial and early post-colonial periods:
Radio served as a state instrument for governance, education, and national cohesion, often balancing information with political persuasion.
The military and post-military transitions:
Radio platforms became arenas for political contestation, citizen information, and domestic resilience.
The digital era:
In a reasonable scale, Nigeria’s broadcast landscape has witnessed a shift toward digital transmission, satellite reception, and mobile accessibility, expanding reach to rural and urban communities alike.
Hidden dynamics to acknowledge
Access gaps persist:
While urban centres enjoy robust signals and varied content, many rural communities remain underserved by reliable reception and local-language programming.
Content integrity and trust:
The same dissemination powers that inform can misinform; media literacy and editorial independence are pivotal to democratic legitimacy.
Regulation versus innovation:
Policy frameworks must balance public service obligations with technological experimentation to avoid stifling innovation.
II. The Evolution of Digital Broadcasting and the Deployment of Artificial Intelligence
Digital broadcasting trajectory
From analogue to digital:
Enhanced spectrum efficiency, higher quality audio, better reception, and new distribution channels (online streaming, mobile apps).
Hybrid ecosystems:
Traditional FM/AM/SW coexist with DAB, DRM, and IP-based broadcasts, enabling cross-platform consumption.
Local content empowerment:
Digital workflows facilitate local-language programming, rural content dissemination, and rapid news cycles.
Artificial Intelligence in broadcasting:
Content synthesis and personalization:
AI enables targeted programming, adaptive content playout, and automated tagging for accessible archives.
Production and automation:
AI-powered cueing, dubbing, subtitle generation, and real-time quality control reduce costs and improve reliability.
Ethics and governance:
Safeguards are essential to avoid bias, manipulation, filter bubbles, and the erosion of editorial independence. Transparent AI governance is non-negotiable.
Nigeria’s readiness and opportunities
Infrastructure:
Prospects for broader coverage through satellite, 5G/advanced networks, and community radio with AI-assisted management.
Capacity building:
Training journalists and engineers in AI literacy, data ethics, and cybersecurity is critical.
Public service mission:
Leverage AI to broaden access, improve accuracy of information, and support civic education.
III. Radio and Democratic Development in Nigeria: A Historical Lens
Colonial era to independence:
Radio as a tool of information dissemination, political mobilization, and governance contact. It helped foster national consciousness but often reflected the power asymmetries of the era.
Democratic ideals planted through critical news, public debates, and education, albeit within a colonial framework that constrained true pluralism.
Post-independence to the late 20th century:
The media landscape toggled between state command and pockets of press freedom; radio remained a vital channel for governance communications, administrative updates, and national campaigns.
The symbiosis between radio and electoral education helped citizens understand processes, albeit with uneven reach.
The democratic consolidation era (2000s onward):
Echoes of liberalization:
Greater media plurality, independent broadcasting houses, and citizen-centric content.
The digital shift:
Online news, social media, and networked platforms began to influence voters beyond traditional radio, necessitating responsible broadcasting practices and credible information ecosystems.
Current trend:
E-accreditation and e-transmission of results
– Nigeria has experimented with e-accreditation and e-transmission in electoral processes, with notable success approximating over 90% in the 2023 general election in some segments, while recognizing glitches in real-time presidential result transmission.
– This duality underscores both the potential and the fragility of digital electoral tools. The aim remains: integrity, transparency, and inclusivity.
IV. The Interplay of Technology and Voting: A Path to Integrity
E-Accreditation and e-Transmission: Pros and Challenges
Pros:
Speedier, auditable processes; reduced paper trails; enhanced accessibility for voters; real-time data availability for stakeholders.
Challenges:
Technical glitches, cybersecurity threats, digital divide in rural areas, concerns about coercion and data privacy, and the need for robust backup and disaster recovery plans.
Best practices from international experience
– Stakeholder-inclusive design: Engage voters, civil society, elections commissions, and tech partners in co-creating systems.
End-to-end security:
– Layered security architectures, multi-factor authentication, secure data channels, and independent security assessments.
Auditability and transparency:
– Publicly available verifiability options, routine third-party audits, and clear error-handling mechanisms.
Redundancy and fail-safe operation:
– Offline-capable processes, robust backup transmission channels, and manual contingency procedures.
Clear statutory mandate:
– Legislation that defines the role, limits, and oversight for e-transmission, ensuring parliamentary oversight and independent commissions’ credibility.
The 2023-2024 learning curve for Nigeria
– The near-universal success rate in e-accreditation and e-transmission in many contexts demonstrates feasibility and public willingness to embrace digital electoral tools.
– The persistent need for safeguarding against partial failures in presidential results transmission highlights the importance of a national policy ensure that any e-transmission is voluntary rather than obligatory in certain contexts, with Parliament’s guidance calibrated to preserve electoral integrity.
V. National Assembly, INEC, and the 2027 Electoral Act: A Strategic View
While the House of Representatives embraces the real-time e-transmission of election results in the 2022 Electoral Act review, the Senate seems to hold contrary opinion, embracing the status quo. That is leaving the mode of transmission of results to the discretion of INEC with e-transmission remaining obligatory and not mandatory. Consequently, the election results experience of 2023 presidential election portray INEC makes the critical stakeholders and the general public apprehensive.
Policy stance:
– The aim is to codify robust, resilient digital electoral systems that withstand cyber threats and operational disturbances while preserving trust.
– Any mandates around e-transmission should be grounded in risk-based assessments, guaranteeing continuity, inclusivity, and verifiability.
Recommendation:
Pragmatic mandate on e-transmission:
With the following technical details in mind, we can consider mandating real-time e-transmission of election results:
– Transmission can technically occur in real-time even when there is no network connection.
– Transmission of results are considered complete when the result is delivered to IReV.
– This process is similar to posting on Facebook: once you create content and click POST, you have technically posted in real-time, regardless of network availability.
– The content of the POST enters an irreversible “transmission” phase, waiting for delivery as determined by the network.
– During this transmission phase, which depends on network availability, the content remains intact and cannot be altered.
– BVAS transmission to IReV works in the same way, ensuring guaranteed delivery and data integrity.
– The system is designed to solve persistent problems related to delivery failures and data manipulation during manual collation.
– This explanation highlights the reliability and security of BVAS transmission in maintaining data integrity and ensuring delivery.
Given the above, it is important to ensure that the 2027 Electoral Act review contemplates phased integration, with clear milestones, independent monitoring, and sunset clauses for re-evaluation if necessary.
Institutional governance:
– Establish a joint national task force comprising INEC, the National Assembly, cybersecurity agencies, broadcasters’ associations, civil society, and technologists to oversee implementation, risk assessment, and public communication.
– Invest in ongoing capacity building for electoral staff, borderless information sharing, and public literacy on e-voting and e-transmission.
VI. A Call to Action: Courage, Clarity, and Collaboration
Courage:
– Embrace the audacity of innovation while recognizing and guarding against the risks that accompany rapid deployment of digital tools.
Clarity:
– Communicate election processes with unwavering transparency, ensuring that the public understands both the benefits and the safeguards in place.
Collaboration:
– Forge enduring partnerships among government, the private tech sector, civil society, and international allies to build robust, ethical, and resilient broadcasting and electoral ecosystems.
VII. Propositions for tl The Yemi Farounbi Colloquium (TYFC) 2026 Colloquium
Independent AI in Public Broadcasting
– Establish a blueprint for AI-assisted broadcasting that preserves editorial independence, with oversight bodies to prevent manipulation and ensure equitable representation of diverse voices.
Electoral Technology Roundtable
– Convene technologists, electoral officials, and civil society to critique and refine e-accreditation and e-transmission protocols, with emphasis on security, accessibility, and verifiability.
Public Education Initiatives
– Develop nationwide campaigns that improve media literacy, explain digital voting processes, and foster critical consumption of information disseminated through radio, online platforms, and social media.
Infrastructure and Capacity Building
– Advocate for investment in digital broadcasting infrastructure, rural coverage expansion, and local-language content that strengthens democratic participation.
VIII. Conclusion
Nigeria stands at a crossroads where the forces of tradition and innovation meet. The evolution of radio from its colonial-era function to a contemporary, AI-enabled digital instrument offers immense potential to strengthen democratic development. If prudently stewarded, with robust governance, transparent processes, and unwavering commitment to integrity, broadcasting can amplify civic engagement, expand access to credible information, and elevate the democratic project to new heights.
Let us, with the resolve befitting the occasion, pledge to harness the power of radio and digital technology—not as instruments of unilateral control, but as engines of inclusive participation, informed choice, and enduring national progress.
References and Suggested Readings:
1. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reports on digital broadcasting and AI in media.
2. UNESCO, World Radio Day annual publications and ethics frameworks for broadcasting.
3. Electoral integrity studies from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Election Reform scenarios in Africa.
4. National strategies and white papers on Nigeria’s e-government, digital identity, and cybersecurity.
