The Independent National Electoral Commission has clarified the rationale behind the ?1.5bn fee charged for fulfilling a Freedom of Information request for certified copies of the National Register of Voters and polling unit details across the country.

The request, submitted by Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates on October 8, 2025, sought access to the National Register of Voters for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as records of polling units nationwide.

INEC responded on October 13, 2025, approving the request and outlining the cost involved. The quoted fee of ?1,505,901,750 has since generated widespread public interest.

In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC?s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, explained that the fee was determined in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

?Where access to information is to be given under this Act, the public institution may charge an amount representing the actual cost of document duplication and transcription,? the commission stated, citing Section 8(1) of the Act.

INEC further clarified that the cost was calculated based on its guidelines for processing and issuing Certified True Copies of documents, derived from Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022. According to the commission, ?the applicable charge is ?250 per page.?

?For clarity, the National Register of Voters for all 36 states and the FCT contains 93,469,008 registered voters, with 16 voters per page, requiring 6,018,661 pages.

?Additionally, printing the existing polling units in the electoral wards across the country, covering 176,848 polling units, will require 4,946 pages.

?The total number of pages to be printed for both requests is therefore 6,023,607, at a unit cost of ?250 per page, resulting in the total sum of ?1,505,901,750,? INEC stated.

The commission added that ?this amount reflects only the actual costs for document duplication and transcription and does not include any other charges.?

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to ?transparency, accountability, and responsible management of public resources.?

The clarification followed public criticism after the disclosure of the fee. The approval for the release of the data was first made public in a letter signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday night.

In the letter dated October 13, INEC confirmed that the request had been approved, stating, ?You are hereby requested to pay the sum of One Billion, Five Hundred and Five Million, Nine Hundred and One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira only (?1,505,901,750), being the cost of production of the above.?

The letter further directed the requesters to make payment through the INEC Remita Retrieval Reference system and submit proof of payment to proceed with the request.

The fee has sparked debate online, with many questioning its fairness, especially in an era of digital document management. Some users expressed disbelief at the cost, while others speculated that the charge was designed to discourage such requests.

However, some observers defended INEC?s position, noting that the request was for Certified True Copies, which legally requires the printing and certification of physical documents, as stipulated by the FOI Act. (The PUNCH)

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