As public trust in governance continues to decline across many African countries, civic organizations are increasingly turning to technology to bridge the gap between government and the people.
One such organization is BudgIT, a Nigerian-born civic tech nonprofit that has made a name for itself by transforming complex public budgets into simple, accessible data for citizens.
At the forefront of BudgIT’s latest innovations is Kolawole Egbeyemi, the newly appointed chief innovation officer.
His work is driving the organization’s global shift toward artificial intelligence, open data tools, and decentralized transparency frameworks. We sat down with Kola to discuss how BudgIT is using technology to revolutionize budget transparency and why their upcoming AI platform, Bimi, could be a game-changer.
TE: BudgIT has long been known for simplifying budget data. What’s the next chapter in that story?
Egbeyemi:
BudgIT began with one mission: to make government budgets accessible to everyday Nigerians. We’ve built dashboards, visual reports, and state portals to support that goal. The next chapter is about personalization. It’s not just about access anymore. It’s about helping each citizen understand what public spending means to them, in their own context and language. That’s where Bimi, our new AI-powered assistant, comes in.
TE: Tell us more about Bimi. What exactly is it?
Egbeyemi:
Bimi stands for Budget Information Made Interactive. It’s a civic AI tool that allows people to chat with a system that can explain, search, and retrieve public budget data. Think of it like an intelligent civic assistant. You could ask, “How much was allocated to healthcare in Ogun State this year?” and Bimi will not only give you a number but also explain what that budget line means, how it compares to last year, and what the money is supposed to achieve.
TE: What technologies power Bimi?
Egbeyemi:
We’re using large language models that have been trained on Nigeria’s federal and state budget data, project monitoring records, and demographic information. Bimi has been tuned to understand civic questions, detect user intent, and respond in plain, everyday English. We’re also working on adding local languages so it can interact in Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.
TE: Why is AI critical to transparency work now?
Egbeyemi:
The average citizen is not going to download a spreadsheet from a government website. That kind of civic engagement excludes millions of people. AI changes that. It enables us to deliver personalized insights quickly and through platforms people already use, such as WhatsApp. It brings governance information into daily life. That is the future. Citizens should be active participants, not just observers.
TE: Aside from Bimi, what else is BudgIT building in the innovation space?
Egbeyemi:
We’re piloting blockchain tools to track government spending and exploring Web3 solutions to build trust in how funds are allocated. We are also expanding our international partnerships, especially in the United States, to learn from civic innovation labs and scale our solutions across Africa. Our team supports over 130 grassroots organizations by providing them with tools, training, and data literacy resources. We are not just building tech. We are building a civic movement.
TE: You have a strong background in telecom and operations. How does that influence your work now?
Egbeyemi:
I’ve led infrastructure rollouts, managed large-scale service teams, and worked in highly regulated technical environments. That experience helps me think in systems. When designing tools for transparency and accountability, consider the scale, reliability, access, and human behaviour.
I apply the same level of planning and quality control to civic-tech work because, for many people, this information is essential to their survival and rights.
TE: What does success look like for you and BudgIT in the coming year?
Egbeyemi:
Success means impact. We want millions of people to use Bimi. We want state governments to embrace open data dashboards. We want civil society groups to tell better stories using data. If civic information becomes part of everyday conversation at home, in the marketplace, and on social media, then we are doing our job. The goal is simple. Help citizens stay informed and hold governments accountable.
With the launch of Bimi coming soon and a broader roadmap filled with digital transparency tools, BudgIT, under Kola Egbeyemi’s leadership, is positioning itself as a pioneer in civic innovation. In an era where information is power, turning complex public data into something that people can use might be the most impactful form of governance reform yet.
