The Federal Government has partnered Meta to launch GovGuide Nigeria, a multilingual artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to improve access to government services and public information across the country.

The platform was unveiled on Thursday during the launch of Meta’s Economic Impact Report in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local technology company, Publica AI.

The initiative was described as a major step in Nigeria’s digital governance drive aimed at making public services more accessible, transparent and user-friendly for citizens.

GovGuide Nigeria operates as both a voice and text assistant, allowing users to access information on government services through web platforms in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Speaking at the unveiling, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the project reflects the government’s commitment to using technology to strengthen service delivery and citizen engagement.

According to him, deploying AI-powered tools in local languages would help bridge communication gaps and expand access to public services, especially among underserved communities.

“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 integration of AI into platforms already familiar to citizens would also help improve transparency and build public trust in government institutions.

“As Nigeria continues to grow its digital economy, partnerships like this demonstrate how innovation can improve productivity, unlock opportunities and bring government closer to the people,” he stated.

Head of Public Policy at Meta, Sade Dada, described the initiative as a practical example of how open-source artificial intelligence can support economic growth and social development in Africa.

She explained that GovGuide Nigeria was developed by Nigerian technology firm Publica AI using Meta’s open-source AI models.

“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 noted that the project highlights the role of local innovation and talent in building technology solutions tailored to African realities.

Chief Executive Officer of Publica AI, Ignatius Willie, said the platform was designed to transform how Nigerians interact with public 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.

He added that the platform was shaped through contributions from hundreds of Nigerian language experts and developers, demonstrating the potential for Africa-built digital infrastructure.