The ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) has issued a communiqué urging Election Management Bodies (EMBs) across West Africa to invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance electoral integrity and efficiency.
The communiqué emphasizes the need for EMBs to strengthen their capacity and readiness by conducting proper assessments before adopting AI technologies in their electoral processes.
This official statement was released on Thursday, 13 November 2025, in Dakar, Senegal, at the close of the 2025 ECONEC Symposium held under the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Electoral Integrity.”
Liberia was represented at the event by NEC Liberia Chairperson, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, and IT Deputy Director, Edna Freeman, alongside other regional EMB leaders.
She quoted the communiqué as underscoring that a thorough audit of internal processes, data management, and cybersecurity is a prerequisite for AI adoption.
However, ECONEC cautioned that while AI offers great potential, its use by electoral bodies must always remain under human oversight and control, rather than being left entirely to automated systems.
Recently, NEC-Liberia organized an introductory AI workshop for its Board of Commissioners (BOC) and senior management team as part of efforts to prepare the Commission for future AI integration in Liberia’s electoral processes.
Meanwhile, ECONEC has elected new members to its Steering Committee as follows:
Senegal – President
The Gambia – 1st Vice President
Benin – 2nd Vice President
Nigeria – Treasurer and
Guinea-Bissau – Deputy Treasurer.
The ECONEC Presidency rotates every two years between Anglophone and Francophone member states.
The immediate past president was from neighboring Sierra Leone.
