The Federal Government has partnered Meta to launch ‘GovGuide’ a multilingual artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to improve access to government services and public information across the country in multiple local languages.
GovGuide Nigeria, is an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to provide Nigerians with easier access to information on government services in multiple Nigerian Local languages such as English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
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 launch was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, following the unveiling of Meta’s Economic Impact Report in Nigeria.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani (Second Left) flanked by executives of Publica AI during the launch of Nigeria’s ChatBot ‘GOVGUIDE’ in Abuja – Photo Credit: Aver Fidelis
According to the ministry, GovGuide Nigeria is a fully operational multilingual voice and text chatbot developed through a collaboration involving Meta, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and local technology firm Publica AI.
The statement said the platform would provide “seamless access to comprehensive information on all government services” through a web-based interface and support communication in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.
It added that the initiative highlighted the socio-economic potential of open-source artificial intelligence technologies in Africa and demonstrated practical applications of Meta’s open-source AI models, including Llama.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the project aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to improve access to public services 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 was quoted as saying.
He added, “By deploying AI-powered tools in local languages and on platforms people already use daily, we are improving access to public services and also strengthening transparency, trust, and citizen engagement.”
According to him, the initiative would contribute to productivity growth and support the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy. “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.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI, and sees bots as key to user engagement. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo
Speaking at the launch, Meta’s Head of Public Policy, Sade Dada, described open-source AI as a key driver of economic growth and productivity, noting that GovGuide Nigeria illustrated how such technologies could be applied to solve practical challenges.
“Meta’s open-source AI is critical to economic growth and productivity — and GovGuide Nigeria, launched in partnership with the Federal Ministry, is a clear example of what this looks like in practice,” Dada said.
She explained that the chatbot was built by Publica AI using Meta’s open-source models and was designed to serve a broad range of users, including people in rural communities and individuals with limited literacy levels.
“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 added that the project demonstrated how open-source AI could stimulate local innovation and support indigenous talent development. “This is exactly how open-source AI creates lasting value: enabling homegrown innovation, supporting local talent, and putting powerful tools to work in service of the people who need them most,” she said.
The ministry said the project was conceived to provide multilingual access to information on government services and support broader efforts to improve service delivery through digital innovation.
Chief Executive Officer of Publica AI, Ignatius Willie, said the initiative represents a major step toward transforming how citizens 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,” Willie said.
He added that the chatbot was developed with contributions from Nigerian language communities and demonstrates Africa’s ability to build digital public infrastructure tailored to local realities and cultural diversity.
The launch comes as the Federal Government of Nigeria intensifies initiatives to expand digital inclusion, promote the adoption of artificial intelligence, and improve citizens’ access to public services through technology-driven solutions.
Meta AI – (Representative Photo)
‘GOVGUIDE’ AI powered ChatBot provides a very important, fast, and secured platform for Nigerians to demand for accountability in government Led services, offices, agencies and parastatals in Nigeria.
The ChatBots multilingual features (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba) makes it even more adaptable and suitable to Nigeria’s culturally diverse heritage. It’s partnership with Meta makes it available for widespread use as Meta owned Facebook remains the most widely used social media platform in Nigeria, accounting for over 80Million Nigerian users.
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