INEC Clarifies ₦1.5 Billion Cost for Certified Copies of Voters’ Register and Polling Units
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the basis for the ₦1.5 billion fee charged for providing Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the National Register of Voters and details of existing polling units nationwide.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 16, 2025, by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, the Commission said the clarification followed public discussions over the quoted cost of ₦1,505,901,750 for the documents requested by Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates.
According to INEC, the law firm had on October 8, 2025, requested CTCs of the National Register of Voters for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as the full list of polling units across electoral wards in the country. The Commission approved the application on October 13, outlining the applicable fees in line with statutory provisions.
INEC explained that the computation strictly follows Section 8(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, which allows public institutions to charge amounts representing the “actual cost of document duplication and transcription.”
It further cited Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s internal guidelines, which fix the fee at ₦250 per page for the issuance of Certified True Copies.
Providing a breakdown, the Commission noted that the National Register of Voters for the 36 states and the FCT contains 93,469,008 registered voters, with 16 voters per page, requiring 6,018,661 pages to print. The list of 176,848 polling units nationwide will require an additional 4,946 pages.
This brings the total number of pages to 6,023,607, which, at ₦250 per page, amounts to ₦1,505,901,750.
INEC stressed that the figure strictly represents the cost of document duplication and transcription, adding that no extra administrative or hidden charges were included.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that the total quoted sum reflects only the actual cost of producing the requested documents. INEC remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources,” the statement read.
