NITDA Plans AI System for National Youth Conference Inputs

In Short

• NITDA says it will deploy technology and AI to capture and analyse youth contributions at the 2026 National Youth Conference in Abuja.
• The agency plans to turn those submissions into structured policy proposals for government review.
• NITDA also says remote participation will be enabled so more young Nigerians can join.

What Happened

Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, says it will use AI at the 2026 National Youth Conference to turn youth ideas into policy proposals.

NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa said the approach is meant to create a structured channel for government to understand young people’s priorities. He listed focus areas such as job creation, technology, education, and economic development.

NITDA’s plan combines two steps. First, digital tools will capture contributions from conference sessions and participants. Second, AI will analyse the submissions, meaning software that sorts and summarises large volumes of text, like a fast research assistant.

Inuwa said social platforms like X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are useful for expression, but the volume makes it hard to separate policy ideas from misinformation and general noise. He said the conference process would help “filter the noise” and organise inputs into themes.

NITDA said the AI analysis will be presented to a committee to support evaluation and policy drafting. The agency also promised an “end to end” role and said the process would be open and transparent.

The National Youth Conference was announced by President Bola Tinubu on October 1, 2024. The 2026 edition is expected to cover six areas, including governance, entrepreneurship and jobs, climate and energy transition, education and skills, technology and digital innovation, and security and social cohesion.

Why It Matters

If NITDA executes well, AI could make public consultation more usable for policymakers. It can turn thousands of comments into clearer themes, priorities, and draftable recommendations.

It also raises practical questions that matter for the tech ecosystem. How will submissions be verified, stored, and protected, and how will bias be managed in AI summaries. For founders and civic tech builders, it signals growing government interest in AI systems that support digital governance and policy design in Nigeria.