The platform was announced on Thursday by Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, who described it as a deliberate push to make government more reachable, particularly for underserved and low-literacy communities across the country.

“Today, we launched GovGuideNigeria, an AI-powered platform designed to make access to government information simpler, faster, and more inclusive for every Nigerian,” Tijani said in the announcement post on X.

GovGuide is accessible via WhatsApp and a web interface, and supports four languages, English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, a multilingual design that directly addresses Nigeria’s long-standing language fragmentation challenge in public service delivery.

The platform provides citizens with information spanning more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies, functioning as a single, conversational gateway into the country’s sprawling federal bureaucracy.

The initiative was developed through a three-way collaboration between the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), Meta, and Publica AI Media, a local AI company, a structure that combines government institutional backing, global platform infrastructure, and homegrown innovation.

“GovGuide demonstrates what is possible when government, the private sector, and local innovators work together to solve real challenges,” Tijani noted.

The WhatsApp Bet

The decision to anchor GovGuide on WhatsApp is strategically significant. With an estimated 51 million active WhatsApp users in Nigeria, the platform reaches deep into demographics that may never interact with a government website, traders, farmers, artisans, and low-income urban dwellers for whom a chat interface in their native language is far more accessible than navigating formal government portals.

It also places the initiative in a broader regional context. Governments across Africa and beyond have increasingly moved citizen-facing services to WhatsApp, recognising that reaching people on the apps they already use daily removes the friction that has historically kept civic information out of reach for the majority.

Context: Nigeria’s AI Push Accelerates

The GovGuide launch is the latest in a series of AI-driven public sector initiatives under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope digital agenda. It follows the April 2025 launch of Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, the $7.5 million AI Scaling Hub partnership with the Gates Foundation, and the AI Government Campus launched with Google and Apolitical to train civil servants.

Tijani’s ministry has been among the most active in deploying AI for public-facing outcomes, and GovGuide represents its most direct citizen-service application to date, moving from policy and training into live, functional infrastructure that any Nigerian with a smartphone can use today.

The four-language support and explicit focus on “underserved and low-literacy communities” also signals an intent to measure the platform’s success not just by uptake figures, but by whether it meaningfully reaches Nigerians who have historically been furthest from government services.

GovGuide Nigeria is available now on WhatsApp and via web. Nigerians can access the platform to query information across federal ministries and government agencies in English, Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba.

This initiative ensures that the Act is accessible and understandable to all Nigerians, regardless of language or location, while deepening citizens’ awareness of their data protection rights.

At the unveiling of the Yoruba version held in Ikeja, Lagos, the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, in his opening remarks, expressed his appreciation to the Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Akeem Olalekan Dauda, for hosting the event and supporting the Commission’s public outreach efforts. He also commended Meta for its partnership and contribution toward achieving this milestone.

Dr Olatunji emphasised the importance of translating the NDP Act into local languages, noting that it promotes inclusivity, enhances public awareness of data protection rights, and empowers individuals to better understand how their personal data is collected, used, and safeguarded.

He added that the initiative complements President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s  Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to empower Nigerian youths through digital innovation and opportunities in the data protection ecosystem.

The Alara of Ilara Kingdom (Epe Division), His Majesty Oba (Dr) Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, led the unveiling of the Yoruba version of the Act.

The event also featured diverse stakeholders, including Councillors, Representatives of the National Youth Council, LCDA officials, Religious leaders, Corps members, Healthcare workers, and market women, demonstrating strong grassroots support and advancing data protection awareness.

Other royal fathers in attendance included the Olu of Iwaya-Yaba Kingdom, Oba Suleiman Owolabi Ogun-Oloko, and the Olofin of Isheri and Adimula of Awori Kingdoms, Oba (Engr.) Sulaimon Adekunle Bamgbade, among others.

They delivered goodwill messages commending the Commission for the initiative and recognising it as a vital step toward educating citizens in their native languages and promoting a culture of data privacy across Nigeria.

The feature, which is now available on the Galaxy S25, A56, A36, and A26 devices, reaffirms Samsung’s commitment to delivering innovative technology that speaks the language of its users.

With this groundbreaking update, Samsung users across Nigeria can now navigate their smartphones in their preferred local language, making technology more accessible, while also upholding our cultural heritage.

A Celebration of Culture and Technology

To mark the launch, Samsung hosted a cultural-themed press briefing featuring traditional music, local cuisine, and a showcase of the new language feature. Employees and guests attended in traditional Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa attires, celebrating Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity.

Samsung also announced plans to expand local language support to more devices in the near future, reinforcing its dedication to making technology more inclusive for African users.

Empowering Users Through Language

The integration of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba on Samsung devices reflects the brand’s mission to bridge the digital gap and enhance user engagement. Speaking at the press conference, Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing, Samsung Electronics West Africa, said,

“At Samsung, we understand that technology is most powerful when it is accessible to all. By incorporating our local Nigerian languages, we are making our devices more intuitive and relatable, ensuring that millions of Nigerians can interact with their smartphones in the language they love and understand best”. 

Seamless Language Transition on Galaxy Devices

Stephen Okwara, Head of Product Management, Samsung Electronics West Africa added, “The new local language feature is designed to deliver a seamless user experience, allowing customers to easily switch between languages. Users can activate Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba on the Galaxy S25, A26, A36, and A56 by navigating to:

Settings > Language & Input > Select Language

“This update enhances smartphone usability, particularly for those who prefer their native language over English, ensuring greater digital inclusivity, enhancing digital literacy and encouraging more users to engage with technology in their native tongues” He concluded.

Availability

Customers can visit all Samsung Experience Stores or authorized retailers in Nigeria to learn more and experience the feature firsthand.