Agency develops diasporaenabled voting machine

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has developed a solar-powered electronic voting machine, which is capable of eliminating electoral malpractices and reducing cost of conducting elections in the country.

Presenting the new voting device to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, also said the device would enable Nigerians in diaspora to vote for the candidates of their choice.

Prof. Haruna also said the machine was also capable making provision for real time election results as voting progressed across the country.

“It has provision for diaspora voting; it incorporates facial recognition, makes provision for radio frequency identification and device options of voter identification, in addition to thumb print and card reader,” he stated.

According to him, the solarpowered electronic voting system developed was built on the gains of the present INEC voting system.

In his response, Dr Onu said in addition to helping Nigeria conduct free and fair elections, the device could also help the country conduct all its elections same day as it is being done in many advanced countries of the world.