The Federal Government has partnered with Meta to launch GovGuide Nigeria, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to improve Nigerians’ access to government information and services in multiple local languages.
The initiative was unveiled on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy during the presentation of Meta’s Economic Impact Report in Nigeria.
According to the ministry, GovGuide Nigeria is a multilingual voice and text chatbot developed in collaboration with Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local technology firm Publica AI.
The platform provides users with access to information on government services through WhatsApp and a web-based interface in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to using technology to improve public service delivery and citizen engagement.
“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,” he said.
Tijani added that the platform would help bridge information and language gaps while promoting transparency and inclusion, especially for underserved communities.
He noted that GovGuide Nigeria currently provides access to information across more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies.
Meta’s Head of Public Policy, Sade Dada, described the project as a practical example of how open-source artificial intelligence can support economic growth and solve real-life challenges.
“GovGuide Nigeria is a voice and text AI assistant in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba that gives every Nigerian, including rural and low-literacy users, easier access to information on government services,” she said.
Dada explained that the chatbot was built by Publica AI using Meta’s open-source AI models, including Llama, and highlighted the role of local innovation and indigenous talent in the project.
The Chief Executive Officer of Publica AI, Ignatius Willie, said the platform represented a major step towards transforming how Nigerians interact with government institutions.
“With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use every day,” he said.
Willie added that the chatbot was shaped by contributions from Nigerian language experts and technology partners across the country.
The ministry said the project forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to expand digital inclusion, encourage artificial intelligence adoption and improve access to public services through technology-driven solutions.
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