NITDA deploys AI to capture youths’ ideas at national conference
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NITDA deploys AI to capture youths’ ideas at national conference
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has said it will deploy technology and artificial intelligence to capture, analyse and organise ideas generated by young Nigerians at the 2026 National Youth Conference for possible integration into government policy proposals.
The NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, disclosed this in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the maiden National Youth Conference.
Inuwa described Nigerian youths as a strategic asset to the country, saying the conference would provide a structured channel for young people to communicate their expectations, concerns and ideas directly to government.
He noted that although social media platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok had provided young Nigerians with avenues to express themselves, the volume of online content made it difficult for government to distinguish genuine policy ideas from misinformation and other forms of online noise.
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According to him, the conference will enable government to “filter the noise” and identify genuine signals from the conversations among young Nigerians.
He said, “It is a deliberate step to make sure your voices, your aspirations, your ideas are brought closer to the heart of national decision-making.
“This conference is also for the administration to listen to what you want government to do in terms of the economy, job creation, technology, and creating a greater Nigeria.”
The NITDA boss announced that the agency, in partnership with the relevant ministry, would deploy technology to capture contributions from participants, while artificial intelligence would be used to analyse and organise the submissions into thematic areas.
He explained that the information generated would subsequently be presented to a committee to assist its understanding of the issues raised by the youths and support the development of policy proposals.
Inuwa said technology would also facilitate remote participation, allowing young Nigerians who could not attend the conference physically to contribute to the process.
He assured participants that their submissions would be captured, analysed and preserved to create a trail through which their ideas could progress from the conference floor to the policy process.
“I want to assure you that all your discussions will be captured, and the technology will keep it, and we will present it to the committee, and government will use that to turn your aspirations into ideas, ideas into proposals, proposals into policies for government to build the policies you want,” he said.
Inuwa further pledged NITDA’s continued involvement in the initiative, saying the agency would support the process “end to end” and ensure that the technology-driven engagement was conducted openly and transparently.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, led other dignitaries at the opening ceremony, including the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu; the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Akinteye Hafeez; representatives of academia and representatives of Commissioners of Youth Development from the 36 states of the federation.
The National Youth Conference 2026 is structured around six broad areas, including 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 conference is expected to draw participation from young Nigerians across the country’s 360 federal constituencies, the six geopolitical zones and the diaspora.
The six geopolitical zones are scheduled to hold dedicated virtual sessions for 12 days from October 5 to 17, 2026, with technical support from NITDA.
