NITDA to deploy AI to turn youths' ideas into policy proposals at 2026 youth conference

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will deploy technology and artificial intelligence to capture and analyse contributions from young Nigerians at the 2026 National Youth Conference, then translate them into policy proposals.

NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the maiden National Youth Conference in Abuja, where he described Nigerian youths as a strategic asset to national development.

Filtering the noise from social media

Inuwa said the technology driven approach would give government a structured channel to identify young Nigerians' priorities on job creation, technology, education and economic development.

He noted that although platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have given young Nigerians powerful avenues to express their views, the sheer volume of online content makes it difficult to separate genuine policy ideas from misinformation and other online noise.

According to him, the conference would help government "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."

How the AI analysis will work

Inuwa said NITDA, working with the relevant ministry, would use technology to capture contributions from participants. AI would then analyse and organise the submissions into thematic areas. The resulting analysis would be presented to a committee to support its assessment of the issues raised and inform the development of policy proposals.

Technology would also allow young Nigerians who cannot attend physically to take part remotely. Inuwa said AI and digital platforms would let the initiative capture views from a wider pool of young Nigerians and reduce the risk of excluding voices because of geography or physical participation constraints.

"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 pledged the agency's continued involvement, saying it would support the initiative "end to end" and ensure the technology driven engagement is conducted openly and transparently.

Tinubu's promise and the six priority areas

The national youth conference was announced by President Bola Tinubu exactly two years ago during his Independence Day broadcast on October 1, 2024. According to the President, the conference would address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting youths.

He said the 30-day Confab would unite young people nationwide to develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security and social justice, and would empower young people, who make up more than 60% of the population, to participate actively in nation-building.

The National Youth Conference 2026 is structured as a multi-stage national engagement covering 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.

It is designed 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.