The Executive Director of Civil Society Organisation Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has been inaugurated as a member of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group on Elections (AI AGE) convened by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
Mr Itodo was inaugurated alongside 15 other members during a virtual ceremony recently convened by IFES.
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The organisation said the launch of AI AGE is a significant step toward protecting democracy in the era of artificial intelligence.
The AI AGE is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together electoral authorities and AI experts to develop global principles, frameworks, and tools to guide the responsible use of AI in electoral contexts.
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The group’s work will inform policymakers, tech developers, and election bodies worldwide, offering proactive solutions to address the evolving risks and opportunities posed by AI.
According to IFES, AI AGE aims to ensure that AI development, deployment and governance safeguards electoral integrity, fosters public engagement in political processes, strengthens respect for human rights, encourages local innovation, and reflects local aspirations and concerns.
In his remarks, Mr Itodo emphasised the urgency of guardrails for ethical AI uptake in elections.
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He said the AI AGE provides strategic thought leadership for responsible and ethical use of AI in elections, considering the growth in the adoption of AI in the electoral process.
“Additionally, the AI AGE is a mechanism that will support electoral commissions and other electoral actors on their AI adoption journey. As a member of AI AGE I look forward to mobilising a coalition of the willing to produce knowledge and resources that strengthens the use of AI in advancing electoral integrity across Africa,” he said.
Other members
Membership of the group includes election officials and technology experts from several countries across the world.
The members are; Miranda Bogen, Founding Director, AI Governance Lab, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT); Sabhanaz Diya, Executive Director, Tech Global Institute; Lindsay Gorman, Managing Director & Senior Fellow, Technology Program, German Marshall Fund; Sam Gregory, Executive Director, WITNESS; Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Claire Leibowicz, Head of the AI and Media Integrity Program at The Partnership on AI (PAI); Jean-Rémi de Maistre, Co-Founder and CEO of Jus Mundi & Jus AI; Sujata Mukherjee, Senior Director of CX & Trust Product Management, Upwork; Benjamin Prud’homme, Vice President of Policy and Global Affairs, Mila – Quebec AI Institute; Nanjira Sambuli, Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Katie Shay, Principal, Open Water Strategies; and Audrey Tang, Cyber Ambassador, Government of Taiwan.
Others are; Betty Idroos, Commissioner, General Election Commission, Indonesia (KPU); Marjan Hussein, Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kenya; Volodymyr Perepeliuk, Commissioner, Central Election Commission, Ukraine; and Hsaio-Lin Wang, Director General, Central Election Commission, Taiwan.
About Mr Itodo
Samson Itodo is an experienced community organiser and development practitioner with over a decade’s experience in constitution building, governance reform, electoral governance, civic engagement, and political organising. He serves as the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa and Convener of the Not Too Young To Run Movement.
In 2018, he was appointed by the Gates Foundation as a Goalkeeper and honoured by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Washington DC as the 2018 Rising Democracy leader in Africa. He is the winner of the Future Africa Award Young Person of the Year 2018 award and the Leadership Newspaper 2018 Outstanding Young Person of the Year award.
Mr Itodo was also inducted into the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the African Youth Awards in 2017. He is a recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships such as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship, the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State, the Swedish Visitors Leadership Program, European Union Visitors Program (EUVP) and the UK International Leaders Program.
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He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of International IDEA, and he previously served as lead consultant for International IDEA on the development of a strategy for mitigating electoral and political violence in Africa. He also served as Research Facilitator for United States Institute for Peace (USIP) and the National Assembly’s institutional reforms committee. He is currently engaged in the preparation of Nigeria’s Medium Term Development Plan (2021 – 2025) and Nigeria’s Agenda 2050.
About IFES
IFES works to strengthen the integrity of elections and democratic institutions worldwide. Since 1987, IFES has supported electoral processes in over 145 countries.
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