ABUJA, May 22 – Nigeria and Meta have launched an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot aimed at improving public access to government services and information across multiple Nigerian languages.
The platform, known as GovGuide Nigeria, was unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy following the release of Meta’s economic impact report in the country.
The initiative was developed through a collaboration involving the ministry, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, local technology company Publica AI and Meta.
According to the ministry, GovGuide Nigeria is a multilingual voice and text chatbot designed to help Nigerians access information about government services through a web-based platform.
The chatbot currently supports English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, reflecting efforts to improve digital inclusion and accessibility for users across different linguistic communities.
Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, said the platform forms part of broader efforts to modernize public service delivery through emerging technologies.
“The GovGuide initiative reflects our commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to make government services and information more accessible and responsive to the needs of Nigerians,” Tijani said.
Sade Dada, Meta’s head of public policy in Nigeria, said the project demonstrates how open-source artificial intelligence tools can improve access to information and support economic participation, particularly among underserved communities and citizens with limited literacy levels.
The chatbot was developed using Meta’s open-source AI models, including Llama, while contributors from local language communities supported the development of its multilingual capabilities.
Ignatius Willie, chief executive officer of Publica AI, described the platform as part of a broader effort to make interaction with government institutions more conversational and accessible through digital channels already widely used by Nigerians.
The launch comes as Nigeria expands investment in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence adoption and technology-driven public services as part of efforts to deepen the country’s digital economy.
Africa’s most populous country has increasingly positioned artificial intelligence and digital innovation as central pillars of long-term economic diversification and financial inclusion strategies.
