Most Nigerians fear artificial intelligence will fuel political misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections, yet they continue to rely on social media platforms as their primary source of political news, according to a new report by SB Morgen Intelligence, a market and security intelligence-gathering firm.
The report titled ‘The Algorithm and the Ballot Box’ surveyed 829 respondents across eight states, spanning all six geopolitical zones, and was conducted between April and May 2026, alongside desk research into Nigeria’s information ecosystem, legal and regulatory framework, and platform policies.
The findings come as election authorities across Africa grapple with the growing use of artificial intelligence in political campaigns, including the use of deepfake audio and edited images. While researchers have found little evidence that AI-generated content alone changes how people vote, it can undermine trust and make authentic evidence easier to dismiss as fabricated, according to the report.
Despite the widespread concern, the report found that Nigeria’s political conversation plays out on social media, with 52.1% of respondents naming platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X and TikTok as their primary source of political news. Most of that traffic runs through WhatsApp, which is used by an estimated 95.1% of Nigerian internet users.
