IFES met on May 3 with a Nigerian delegation that included Maurice Iwu, chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) in Nigeria, to discuss the relationship between the two organizations and future collaboration as Nigeria prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections next April. Iwu said they are on course with preparations and grateful for IFES' support, especially the printing of materials and manuals for election trainers. "On behalf of IFES, this relationship in Nigeria is strategically important," said IFES Executive Vice-President James Vermillion. "It's a relationship we want for the long-term. The world of elections is constantly changing. Nigeria is certainly one of the most important countries in Africa. It's a country where we want to be engaged. We want to stay engaged and we want a relationship that is exemplary and positive."

Iwu said that since 1999 when IFES first started working in Nigeria, "elections have been splendid." He said INEC wants to maintain its relationship with IFES. His commission is working to set a protocol for training electoral administrators while "creating a professional cadre of election administrators who emphasize professionalism."

INEC has been working on several election preparation initiatives including producing voter identification cards, evaluating technical problems from previous elections and encouraging women's participation in politics. Iwu also stressed the importance of transparency and the development of an electoral law.

Vermillion emphasized the importance of transparency and impartiality in IFES' work. "That is our corporate culture," he said. "We never want to be partial. We owe it to the citizens of the world. A lot of money goes into elections and people need to feel that what comes out of this process on the other end really does reflect what they wanted and that they have confidence in it."

IFES received a grant from the United Kingdom's Department for International Development in 2005 to address concerns and lessons outlined in post-election assessments conducted after the country's 2003 presidential elections. Key recommendations include creating a continuous voter registration process, streamlining the process for tabulating election results and increasing civil society efforts to educate voters.

IFES collaborates with citizens to build the capacity of Nigerians to facilitate credible elections themselves.

Chairman Iwu and his delegation were in Washington for one week of meetings with partners and representatives from the U.S. Department of States and the U.S. Agency for International Development.