The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is set to deploy technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to capture, analyse and organise ideas generated by young Nigerians at the maiden National Youth Conference, with the aim of helping government translate their concerns and aspirations into policy proposals.
NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the conference in Abuja, describing Nigerian youths as a strategic national asset.
Inuwa said the conference was designed to provide young Nigerians with a direct channel to communicate their expectations, concerns and ideas to government.
He noted that although social media platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have provided young people with powerful avenues for self-expression, the sheer volume of content generated online makes it difficult for government to distinguish genuine policy ideas from misinformation and other forms of digital noise.
According to him, the conference would give the government an avenue to “filter the noise” and identify genuine signals emerging from conversations among young Nigerians.
“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.
He added that the engagement would enable the administration to better understand what young Nigerians expect from government, particularly in areas such as economic development, job creation, technology and national development.
AI to Analyse Youth Contributions
Inuwa announced that NITDA, in collaboration with the relevant ministry, would deploy technology to capture contributions from conference participants, while AI would be used to analyse and organise the submissions into thematic areas.
He explained that the resulting data would be presented to a committee to provide a clearer understanding of the issues raised and support the development of policy proposals.
The NITDA chief said technology would also facilitate remote participation, while AI would enable the views of a wider pool of young Nigerians to be captured and interpreted.
He said the approach would ensure that young people who could not attend the conference physically would not be excluded from the national conversation.
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“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,” Inuwa said.
According to him, the information gathered would subsequently move through the various stages of the policymaking process.
“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 assured participants that NITDA would remain involved throughout the process and provide technical support “end to end”.
He also stressed that the technology-driven engagement would be conducted openly and transparently, to establish a structured pathway through which young Nigerians could contribute directly to government’s policy considerations.
Conference Targets Youth Across Nigeria and Diaspora
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, led other dignitaries at the opening ceremony.
Other attendees included the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu; National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Akinteye Hafeez; representatives of the academic community; and representatives of Commissioners of Youth Development from the 36 states of the federation.
The National Youth Conference 2026 is structured as a multi-stage national engagement covering six key 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 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 over 12 days, from October 5 to 17, 2026, with technical support from NITDA.
The initiative is expected to provide a structured mechanism for capturing youth perspectives and ensuring that their ideas and concerns are considered in the formulation of government policies.
