SBM Intelligence Report Flags AI Risk for Nigeria 2027 Vote

In Short

• SBM Intelligence says 66.5% of Nigerians are very concerned about AI-generated political misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
• The report links the risk to heavy social media news consumption, weak content moderation, and outdated regulation.
• It calls for faster safeguards from INEC, regulators, platforms, and civil society.

What Happened

A new SBM Intelligence report warns that AI-generated misinformation could undermine confidence in Nigeria’s 2027 elections. AI-generated misinformation means false or manipulated content made with AI tools, including deepfakes, which are synthetic videos or audio that look real.

The report says social media is the primary news source for 52.1% of Nigerians, with WhatsApp singled out as a dominant channel. WhatsApp is hard to moderate at scale because messages are shared in private or semi-private groups, not on a public feed. SBM Intelligence argues this creates a fast pipeline from fabricated content to mass audiences.

One data point the report highlights is a regional mismatch it calls the “Southeast paradox.” The Southeast reportedly has the highest social media reliance at 82.5% and the highest non-verification rate at 42.7%, but the lowest combined concern about AI interference at 38.9%. In plain terms, many people rely on social media and do not cross-check claims, yet are less worried about AI manipulation.

SBM Intelligence also looked at perceptions of foreign influence. 35.7% of respondents pointed to the United States as the most likely external actor to influence Nigeria’s information environment, followed by China at 11% and the United Kingdom at 7.5%.

Why It Matters

For election organisers and platforms, the report is a reminder that AI risk is not only about new tools, it is about distribution. Nigeria’s dependence on social messaging apps makes detection and response harder, especially when content is forwarded quickly.

For policymakers, SBM Intelligence says the legal toolkit is behind the threat. It notes that the Cybercrimes Act predates deepfakes, and proposed AI laws still lack clear enforcement. INEC’s AI regulatory workshop in March 2026 is described as a first step, but not a full framework.

For the tech ecosystem, demand is likely to grow for local fact-checking workflows, media literacy programmes, and content authenticity tools. This includes systems that can flag manipulated media, label synthetic content, and help voters verify claims before sharing.