Nigeria has officially launched “GovGuide Nigeria,” a new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to help citizens access government information and public services through conversational AI. The initiative marks one of the country’s most ambitious deployments of AI within the public sector to date.
The platform was developed through a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and Nigerian technology company Publica AI. According to government officials, the chatbot is intended to simplify the way Nigerians interact with ministries, departments, and agencies by providing faster, easier access to official information.
GovGuide supports both voice and text interactions and is currently available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, an approach aimed at improving accessibility for millions of Nigerians across different linguistic backgrounds. The service is accessible through its official platform, GovGuide Nigeria.
Speaking during the unveiling, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to using artificial intelligence to improve citizen engagement and public service delivery. He noted that deploying AI tools in local languages could help strengthen transparency and trust while making government services more accessible to everyday Nigerians.
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Meta also described the project as a practical example of how open-source AI can support economic growth and digital inclusion in Africa. The chatbot was reportedly built using Meta’s Llama AI models and optimised for local use cases in Nigeria’s public sector.
The launch comes amid Nigeria’s broader push to accelerate AI adoption across government institutions and the wider economy. Over the past year, the country has increased investments in AI training, digital governance, and public-sector modernisation initiatives as it positions itself as a leading AI hub in Africa.
For Nigeria’s growing AI ecosystem, GovGuide may represent more than just another chatbot launch. It signals a shift toward AI-driven governance, in which conversational systems could become a primary interface between citizens and government services in the years ahead.
Senior AI Writer
Bio: Okikiola is a writer and AI enthusiast with a background in Office Technology and Management from the Federal Polytechnic Offa. She went further to study an MSc in International Business at De Montfort University (DMU). With extensive work experience across administrative and business roles, she now focuses on exploring how artificial intelligence can transform work, innovation, and everyday life.