Dataphyte in Q2 2026: Putting Data at the Centre

Dear ,

Welcome to the second half of 2026 and the third quarter of the year!

As we progress through the year, our work at Dataphyte to strengthen public and private institutions and systems, consolidate Nigeria’s democratic governance and accountability, and improve developmental outcomes through data, policy research and advisory, and strategic stakeholder engagement and resourcing continues. 

In the second quarter of 2026, Dataphyte’s programmatic engagements focused on the pillars of our FRAMEwork: Foreign Policy and National Security, Representation and Governance, AI and Digital Futures, Media Development and Sustainability, and Extractives, Energy and Environment.

Our work ranged from advancing timely access to electoral information and incident reporting during the Ekiti State governorship election to producing evidence that strengthens electoral process management and accountability. We also conducted research on public perceptions of security services and community safety, generating insights to support evidence-based policy debates and decision-making on public safety and national security in Nigeria.

Through these initiatives and our continued engagement with policymakers, civil society, and other stakeholders, we are contributing evidence that can inform long-awaited policy reforms, strengthen public institutions, and improve service delivery.

Here’s a look at what we accomplished at Dataphyte in Q2 2026.

Foreign Policy and National Security

The growing incidence of safety breaches and insecurity across communities and states in Nigeria has made a comprehensive assessment of the governance, operational, and policy dimensions of Nigeria's security architecture necessary. Equally, the growing recognition of the importance of citizens' perceptions and lived experiences in accessing security services has underscored the need to generate evidence that reflects community realities and informs responsive security reforms.

Police Service Assess Gap and State Policing Research

In the second quarter, Dataphyte launched the Police Service Gap Research, a nationwide survey that leveraged Goloka to enumerate 3,870 active citizens and generate evidence on citizens' experiences with policing, access to security services, and community safety. This survey, while economically empowering respondents, will also contribute to evidence-based policy debates and decision-making to improve people-centred safety and security architecture in Nigeria. 

Click here to participate.

Strategic Engagement with the Inspector-General of Police

Dataphyte’s earlier published Cost of State Policing Brief, which provided evidence to shape the policing reform debate in Nigeria, has resulted in an institutional engagement invitation from the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force to the Dataphyte team to extensively discuss the key evidence in the brief and how it can be leveraged to strengthen policy formulation and implementation for enhanced safety and security in Nigeria. Our team, alongside partner organisations on the people-centred public safety (PCPS) projects, also engaged the IGP, Tunji Disu, to introduce the Open Society-supported People-centred public safety project and to discuss collaboration with the office of the IGP towards the shared goal of strengthening safety and security in Nigeria.

Read more here. 

Strengthening Citizens-led Local Intelligence and Data Exchange for Community Safety

Across Nigeria, communities in both the North and South have lived with insecurity and recurring attacks for years. And despite being the most affected, their experiences and perspectives on conflict dynamics are mostly absent or underrepresented in the policies and decisions designed to keep them safe.

In Bayelsa State, Dataphyte, in collaboration with Spaces for Change and other PCPS partners, trained over 15 data enumerators for the People-Centered Safety and Security Perception Survey, and were deployed across 21 communities in 3 LGAs in Bayelsa State to collect and document locally grounded data on citizens’ perspective and definition of safety and security, its impact on their socioeconomic development, and how it can be improved, while amplifying citizen-led intelligence to strengthen evidence-driven safety and security policies and programs in Nigeria. 

The insights from the survey will become a strong reference point for data-driven policy dialogue, advocacy, civic engagement, and broader discussions on strengthening Nigeria's security and public safety systems. 

Read more here.  

Recycled Trauma: Why Borno’s IDP Camp Closures Put Returnees in Harm’s Way

Borno State, the state most affected by terrorism in Nigeria, has become more vulnerable for displaced citizens, especially after the Babagana-led government announced the closure of IDP camps and the return of displaced persons to their ancestral communities in 2021. While stronger security measures were expected, many returnees have instead faced secondary displacement due to unsafe, poorly coordinated, and unsustainable return policies.

Dataphyte’s recent policy brief, “Recycled Trauma: Why Borno’s IDP Camp Closures Put Returnees in Harm’s Way, revealed that repeated attacks, weak livelihood support, and fragile protection systems continue to endanger returnees. The brief forms part of Dataphyte’s evidence-driven policy advisory efforts to strengthen public oversight and ensure policies reflect the realities of those they are meant to serve. 

Click here to download

Representation and Governance

2026 Ekiti Governorship Election: Advancing Electoral Transparency and Civic Participation

The enactment of the Electoral Act 2026 made the off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Osun the first major test of the law’s new provisions ahead of the 2027 general election. This placed both elections at the center of public attention, increasing the need for independent and timely updates on the voting process to support informed electoral discourse and accountability.

To support this, Dataphyte, in collaboration with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), trained and deployed over 60 election observers across the 16 local government areas in Ekiti State to provide live updates on the June 20, 2026, governorship election and INEC’s electoral administration through its Election Portal. We also launched the Election Watch Knowledge Series to enhance access to credible electoral information and encourage civic engagement. 

The exercise contributed to broader efforts to promote transparency in electoral management, strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process, and document evidence and learnings to improve the conduct of the 2027 general election.

Read more here. 

2027 General Election: Strengthening Election Civil Society Consortium

As preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections gather pace, political parties have begun conducting primaries, while prospective candidates continue to declare their intentions to contest various elective offices. Given these developments, sustained coordination among organisations working to strengthen democratic governance has become increasingly important for promoting credible elections and reinforcing public confidence in the electoral process.

In line with its commitment to advancing democracy and supporting free, fair, and credible elections, Dataphyte Foundation convened members of its Electoral Integrity Consortium, including the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), YIAGA Africa, BudgIT/Civic Hive, the DEAN Initiative, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), for a strategic engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

The meeting provided an opportunity for consortium members to exchange ideas on strengthening electoral transparency, identify areas for collaboration, and explore how their complementary expertise, data, and civic technology tools can collectively enhance the credibility, transparency, and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Read more here. 

Strengthening Infrastructure Governance in Nigeria through Data and Research

Foreign-funded infrastructure projects in Nigeria and across Africa often receive less public scrutiny due to opaque agreements, weak accountability, corruption risks, and concerns about national sovereignty. Most investment agreements are also not publicly accessible for citizen and stakeholder scrutiny.

To advance transparency and accountability, Dataphyte Foundation, with support from the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), participated in the co-design of the Infra Watch Africa Methodology Guide, led by the Institute of Economic Affairs (Kenya). The guide provides a framework for assessing the transparency, accountability, and governance risks of foreign-funded infrastructure projects across Africa. At the workshop, Dataphyte presented Nigeria’s socioeconomic profile and case studies of foreign-funded infrastructure projects for comparative research.

Over the coming months, Dataphyte, with CIPE’s support, will apply the guide and empirical evidence to monitor governance and accountability risks in Nigeria’s foreign-funded infrastructure projects and advocate for greater transparency, accountability, and value for money. The project aims to strengthen public oversight, prevent corrosive capital investment, and promote more accountable infrastructure governance in Nigeria.

Read more here.

Amplifying the Voices of Smallholder Women Farmers through Data and Digital Technology

Although women farmers make up an estimated 60 to 80% of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, there is limited data on the social and economic realities shaping their lives and farming activities. As a result, many policies and interventions are not informed by their lived experiences and specific needs.

Dataphyte’s collaboration with the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP) is aimed at addressing this gap to develop a comprehensive socioeconomic digital database of women farmers to support evidence-driven policymaking and interventions. During the second quarter, we hosted the SWOFON team at our Abuja office to strengthen the data collection strategy and generate credible evidence for more inclusive agricultural policies. The database will in turn equip women farmers with the data needed to strengthen policy advocacy, amplify their voices in decision-making, and advance more responsive agricultural policies.

Read more here.

AI and Digital Futures

Accelerating Digital Safety and AI Governance

As AI adoption expands across systems and institutions, discussions on safety, safeguards, and governance have become important. To advance these conversations, Dataphyte Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and the University of Lagos, convened policymakers, researchers, technologists, academics, civil society actors, media professionals, and development partners for a one-day workshop on AI Research, Policy, and Innovation in Nigeria at the NITDA Hub, University of Lagos.

The workshop focused on discussions on the opportunities and challenges shaping Nigeria’s AI ecosystem, including local-language AI, governance, safety, infrastructure, talent retention, research funding, and ecosystem coordination. Dataphyte’s Country Director also moderated a panel on “Inclusive AI Future for Nigeria: Research, Innovation, Governance and Safety,” bringing together experts from academia, AI startups, research institutions, and civil society organisations to discuss how AI can better serve national development.

The workshop strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration on AI governance by generating evidence and expert insights to inform policy and scholarly discourse on responsible AI, maximise its benefits, and develop safeguards that support a safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital future for Nigeria and Africa.

Read more here. 

Promoting Multisectoral Coordination Approach in Nigeria’s Digital Governance Process

The rapid adoption of digital technologies in Nigeria’s public sector has increased the need for strong governance to ensure their ethical, accountable, and public-interest use. In response, Dataphyte Foundation, co-chair of the Digital Governance Thematic Working Group of the Nigeria Open Government Partnership (OGP), supported the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in inaugurating the Multi-Stakeholder Coordination Group (MSCG) on Digital Governance.

The MSCG, comprising representatives from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), Galaxy Backbone, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other key public and private sector institutions, will provide strategic, technical, and institutional leadership to strengthen oversight of digital public service delivery.

At the inaugural meeting, Dataphyte presented draft versions of the Digital Governance Toolkit and Digital Governance Scorecard for validation. The toolkit provides a practical framework for MDAs and subnational governments to design, implement, evaluate, and improve ethical, inclusive, interoperable, and accountable digital transformation, while the scorecard assesses their implementation of these standards. Together, these documents will strengthen digital governance and support government digital transformation, contributing to more ethical technology adoption and stronger stakeholder oversight.

Read more here.

Digital Safety and Online Harms in Nigeria

As digital technologies advance and shape activities across sectors, so are the risks associated with their use, predisposing their users to threats such as data breaches, online scams, harassment, and many more, necessitating targeted efforts towards generating evidence on how these dynamics play out. 

Goloka Analytics, Dataphyte's data infrastructure in collaboration with Gatefield, launched a survey on the state of online harms in Nigeria. The insights from the survey will provide context on the effects of digital harms on the safety of Nigerian users, democratic participation, and social cohesion.

Read more here. 

Media Development and Sustainability

Election Data Lab 1.0: Equipping Journalists on Election Reporting

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections and with two off-cycle elections scheduled for 2026, the role of journalists in analysing emerging electoral trends and shaping evidence-based public discourse has never been more important. In line with our commitment to strengthening data-driven journalism, Dataphyte Foundation, through our Academy, launched Election Data Lab 1.0, a monthly learning series designed to equip journalists, civic-minded citizens, researchers, and democracy advocates with the skills to analyse and use electoral data before, during, and after elections to inform public discourse and strengthen electoral accountability.

The first series trained 103  journalists and media practitioners, focusing on how to analyse election data, including total votes, voter turnout, margins of victory among candidates, and trends of election results, to draw accurate and informed conclusions, while contributing to strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s media houses to produce accurate, data-driven election reporting and analysis, as well as enhance an evidence-based electoral discourse to combat misinformation and improved electoral transparency.

Listen to the session here.

Promoting Data-driven Media Development and Public Interest Journalism

Digital technologies have fundamentally transformed audience behaviour, shifting consumers of news from passive recipients to active participants in the news process. Hence, understanding audience behaviour and engagement patterns becomes a critical aspect of how the media operates and produces news. Likewise, the growing spread of misinformation has made reliable, verified news content more attractive. These were the focus of Dataphyte’s capacity-building session for over 30 journalists and editors at Daily Trust Foundation. 

The session focused on three areas: audience analytics and engagement, data and investigative journalism, and the use of digital tools for fact-checking. Participants learned how to track and understand audience behaviour, use data to uncover and deepen stories, and apply verification tools to check the accuracy of information before publication. By strengthening journalists' capacity to produce evidence-based, audience-centred, and development-focused news, the training contributes to our broader goal of strengthening Nigeria's media ecosystem with data to enhance data-driven reporting, build stronger public trust in Nigeria’s media, and equip citizens with evidence to engage meaningfully with public issues.

Read more here.

Nubia AI: Redefining the Future of Journalism in Africa

Newsrooms across Nigeria and Africa continue to face challenges in meeting citizens' growing information needs due to limited human resources and capacity for data-driven journalism. To address these gaps, Dataphyte developed Nubia, an AI-powered data analytics and storytelling tool that enables journalists and editors to produce evidence-based, data-driven, and locally relevant stories while supporting a more inclusive African journalism ecosystem.

Recognising Nubia's potential to transform public-interest journalism, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) Africa featured the tool on X (Twitter), highlighting its innovative capabilities and its role in supporting journalists in producing credible, evidence-based reporting.

This recognition increases the visibility and credibility of Nubia as an African-built AI solution for journalism, expanding opportunities for its adoption by newsrooms across the continent and contributing to strengthening newsroom innovation, improving evidence-based journalism, and promoting more inclusive public-interest reporting across Africa.

Read more here. 

Equipping the Next Generation of Data Journalists

As the media landscape continues to evolve amid the growing threat of misinformation, equipping the next generation of journalists with strong data, research, and verification skills has become important. In May, the Dataphyte team delivered a two-day training for students of the Department of Mass Communication at Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) on data journalism, data analysis and visualisation, data storytelling, fact-checking, and the principles of data journalism. More than 160 students were trained, strengthening their capacity to source, analyse, interpret, and communicate data for impactful public interest reporting.

By building a pipeline of media professionals equipped with practical skills to produce accurate, evidence-based, and data-driven stories, the training contributes to our broader organisational goal of strengthening a data-driven, evidence-based media ecosystem capable of informing citizens and improving democratic discourse in Nigeria.

Read more here. 

Extractive, Energy and Environment

Amplifying Media Narratives of Biodiversity-Related Issues in Nigeria

Despite growing threats to Nigeria’s biodiversity from land use, climate change, and other human activities, media coverage of biodiversity-related issues remains limited in both quantity and depth. Strengthening journalists’ capacity to produce credible, evidence-based reporting is therefore critical.

To support this, Dataphyte launched the Biodiversity Reporting Toolkit, a legacy output from the Biodiversity Media Initiative project supported by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. The toolkit provides practical, step-by-step guidance for developing data-driven biodiversity stories and has been downloaded 272 times since its launch. It also received international recognition after being featured by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) on X.

By making specialised biodiversity reporting resources more accessible, the toolkit is strengthening journalists’ capacity to produce high-quality, evidence-based environmental reporting, increasing public awareness of biodiversity challenges, and supporting stronger environmental advocacy, policy, and conservation efforts.

Read more here. 

Strengthening the Civic and Media Ecosystem Through Data-Driven Insights and Dialogues

As part of our efforts to strengthen the civic ecosystem with data-driven insights that inform policy conversations and promote evidence-based reforms, Dataphyte participated in several stakeholder engagements and dialogues during the second quarter. These engagements include:

• Dialogue with justice sector stakeholders to integrate Justice Needs and Satisfaction data into legal practice and promote a more citizen-centred justice system.

• National economic policy panel at the launch of the 2026 Nigeria Economic Outlook by the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) to discuss the importance of data-driven economic reforms that reflect the lived realities of Nigerians and improve development outcomes.

• Radio appearance on Real FM 99.3 Abuja to assess the effectiveness of the Presidential Citizen Delivery Tracker in promoting civic participation and institutional accountability and pathways to improve service efficiency within public institutions

• Stakeholder dialogue on how conflicts, terrorism, and wars are shaping economic trajectories, and on strategies to build a sustainable and adaptable economy that works for all.

• Dialogue with the Civil Society Alliance on Fair and Responsible Investment Governance in Nigeria (CSAFRIN) to discuss ways of strengthening transparency and accountability in the implementation of bilateral investment agreements.

• Stakeholder dialogue on integrating insights from the Justice Needs and Satisfaction data into Nigeria's legal education curriculum to advance a more responsive and people-centred justice system.

• Intergenerational Civil Society Convening to examine the evolution of civic participation in Nigeria, the challenges it faces, and lessons for future democratic engagement.

• Global panel at DIGEST Global Conference 2026 to discuss the persistent lack of public trust in government despite increasing digitalisation of public services, and strategies for rebuilding public confidence.

• Stakeholder engagement on the patterns and techniques used by state and non-state actors for online surveillance and censorship, their impact on civic space, and strategies to safeguard civic freedoms.

• World Press Freedom Day dialogue to examine the drivers and impacts of misinformation and disinformation, their effects on public-interest journalism, and the media's role in promoting integrity, accountability, and public trust in an increasingly polarised information ecosystem.

Dataphyte’s Insights at a Glance

Beyond our project activities and stakeholder engagements this quarter, Dataphyte's Insights Team continued to produce policy-relevant analyses that enrich public discourse with data, in-depth research, and compelling visualisations. During this second quarter, the team published evidence-based insights spanning fiscal accountability, security and geopolitical tensions, the US-Israel-Iran conflict, budget spending, and emerging political trends ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general election. Through our weekly newsletters, SenorRita and Marina & Maitama, the team published data-driven insights on gender, business, and the policy issues that dominate public discourse.

The SenorRita edition this quarter provided data-driven insights into the level of menstrual poverty among women and girls in Nigeria and its effects on school attendance and learning outcomes. 

The edition of Marina & Maitama analysed the trend of capital importation in Nigeria, the pattern of investment, and the impacts on both micro and macro-economic outcomes.

In addition to these newsletter series, Dataphyte Insight published other data-driven reports, such as reports on the trend and pattern of resolution of corruption cases among public officeholders in Nigeria, the structure of the slave trade in Africa, and demand for accountability, airstrikes by Nigeria’s military, and military response to civilian casualties, dominance of the ruling party across states and how it will shape outcome of the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s digital transparency problem in elections, how Africa’s natural resources is placing it at the centre of an evolving geopolitical contest, state of press freedom in Nigeria, cost of conducting elections in Nigeria, global responses to oil supply shock, among others.

Through these publications, Dataphyte helped equip policymakers, civil society organisations, journalists, researchers, and citizens with accessible, evidence-based analyses of issues of national and global importance. By translating complex data into actionable insights, the team strengthened informed public discourse, supported accountability, and enriched policy conversations on governance, security, fiscal transparency, and democratic governance.

Check our insight platform to read some of these publications.

Stay Connected

Dataphyte continues to lead strategic conversations, implement high-impact projects, and publish data-driven analyses on emerging governance and development issues. Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay informed, as well as our website to learn about our latest publications, events, capacity-building opportunities, surveys, and other activities.

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