By TheDailyNewsHub News Desk | October 4, 2026
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is preparing to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) tools to capture, analyse and organise ideas from young Nigerians, as the Federal Government seeks to translate youth concerns into proposals that could shape national policies.
NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, announced the initiative during the opening ceremony of the maiden National Youth Conference 2026 at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
According to Inuwa, the agency will provide the technical infrastructure to collect contributions from conference participants, while AI will help process and group the submissions into key areas for consideration by a government committee.
The initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and is intended to create a more structured channel through which young Nigerians can communicate their priorities and recommendations to policymakers.
Inuwa said the volume of conversations across social media platforms makes it difficult for government institutions to distinguish practical policy suggestions from misinformation and other online content.
He explained that the proposed system would help identify recurring concerns and actionable ideas, organising contributions around issues such as digital innovation, employment, climate action and national security.
The NITDA chief also assured participants that their contributions would be digitally captured and preserved, creating a record through which proposals could be followed as they move from the conference discussions to the relevant policy channels.
He said the agency would support the process throughout, adding that the technology would help ensure that participants’ contributions were not lost after the conference.
The initiative is also expected to extend participation beyond those physically attending the Abuja gathering. NITDA will provide technical support for virtual sessions involving young Nigerians across the country’s six geopolitical zones, with participation planned from October 5 to 17.
The sessions are designed to reach young people across all 360 federal constituencies, as well as Nigerians living in the diaspora, giving those unable to travel to Abuja an opportunity to contribute.
The National Youth Conference is structured around six broad areas: governance and political participation; entrepreneurship and job creation; climate action and energy transition; education and future-ready skills; technology and digital innovation; and security and social cohesion.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development said the conference was established to give young Nigerians a platform to discuss challenges affecting them and develop practical recommendations for national development.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who declared the conference open on October 2, urged participants to move beyond identifying problems and produce realistic recommendations, partnerships and measurable actions.
Other participants at the opening ceremony included NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, National Association of Nigerian Students President Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, representatives of state ministries responsible for youth development and members of the academic community.
The World Bank’s Lead Agricultural Economist for West and Central Africa, Dr Hardwick Tchale, also attended the event.
The use of AI in the conference introduces a technology-driven approach to organising public contributions, but its eventual impact will depend on how the submissions are assessed and incorporated into government decisions.
AI can help sort large volumes of information and identify recurring themes, but the process of deciding which recommendations become policy proposals, and which are eventually adopted, remains a responsibility for government institutions and policymakers.
NITDA has not publicly disclosed the specific AI tools or technical architecture to be used, the criteria for evaluating submissions, or a detailed timetable for presenting the resulting proposals to government.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to expand its digital transformation agenda, with the Federal Government increasingly positioning technology and innovation as tools for improving public services, economic participation and national development.
For the youth conference, the key test will be whether the proposed digital process gives young Nigerians a meaningful route from expressing their concerns to influencing policies and programmes that affect their lives.