The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is deploying technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to capture, analyse and transform ideas from young Nigerians into policy proposals for government.
Dr Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA Director-General, disclosed this at the opening of the maiden National Youth Conference 2026 in Abuja, describing Nigerian youths as a strategic asset to national development.
Inuwa said the technology-driven approach would provide government with a structured mechanism for identifying the priorities and concerns of young Nigerians, particularly in areas such as job creation, technology, education and economic development.
He said the initiative was designed to move beyond the vast volume of conversations taking place across social media platforms and identify ideas that could contribute to policymaking.
According to Inuwa, platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have given young Nigerians powerful avenues to express their views, but the sheer volume of online content can make it difficult to distinguish actionable policy ideas from misinformation and other online noise.
The National Youth Conference, he said, provides an opportunity for government to “filter the noise” and identify the issues and aspirations that require policy attention.
“It is a deliberate step to make sure your voices, your aspirations, your ideas are brought closer to the heart of national decision making,” Inuwa said.
“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.”
He explained that NITDA, working with the relevant ministry, would use technology to capture contributions from conference participants, while AI would analyse and organise the submissions into thematic areas.
The resulting analysis will then be presented to a committee for assessment and consideration in the development of policy proposals.
Inuwa said the technology would also allow young Nigerians who cannot attend the conference physically to contribute to the process.
He said digital platforms would enable the government to gather views from a wider pool of young people, helping to reduce geographical and physical barriers to participation.
“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.
The NITDA DG also pledged the agency’s continued involvement in the initiative, saying it would support the technology-driven engagement from beginning to end and ensure that the process is conducted openly and transparently.
The National Youth Conference 2026 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 initiative is expected to draw participation from young Nigerians across the country’s 360 federal constituencies, the six geopolitical zones and the diaspora.
Dedicated virtual sessions for the six geopolitical zones are scheduled to hold over 12 days from October 5 to 17, 2026, with technical support from NITDA.
The conference follows President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 announcement of a national youth conference aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities confronting young Nigerians.
The President had said the initiative would bring young people together to develop solutions around education, employment, innovation, security and social justice, while strengthening their participation in nation-building.
With AI now being deployed to process the contributions, NITDA is positioning technology as a bridge between youth engagement and the formal policymaking process.
