By Jaafar Idris Musa, Abuja

The Association of Nigeria Public Administrators (ANPA) has called on public administrators across the country to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance to improve public service delivery and promote evidence-based decision-making.

The call was made at the association’s 2026 Annual Conference, held on Thursday at the headquarters of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja, with the theme, “AI and Digital Governance for Public Administrators.”

The conference brought together public administrators from federal and state institutions, academia and the private sector to explore how emerging technologies could enhance efficiency, accountability and innovation in public administration.

The event featured a keynote address by Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, pioneer President and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (Pi-CNG), who highlighted the practical application of AI in identifying public infrastructure gaps and developing solutions to improve citizens’ welfare.

Speaking on the use of technology in governance, Oluwagbemi challenged participants to rethink how public administrators could deploy digital tools to address everyday challenges facing Nigerians.

He illustrated his point with an experience from the previous day while driving through an area around the Nigerian Revenue Service in Abuja during rainfall.

According to him, he observed commuters struggling for shelter under an inadequate bus stop, raising concerns about the state of public transportation infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory.

He noted that although Abuja had been developing since 1991 and now had a population exceeding five million, many of its bus stops remained small, open structures that offered commuters little protection from harsh weather.

To demonstrate the potential of AI in public administration, Oluwagbemi said he used ChatGPT on his phone to compare the availability of sheltered bus stops in Abuja with those in London.

He explained that the AI-generated response indicated that London, with a population of approximately 9.1 million, had more than 14,000 sheltered bus stops, citing Transport for London (TfL) as the relevant transport authority.

Oluwagbemi said the comparison went beyond the number of bus stops, drawing attention to the importance of having a functional, data-driven transport authority responsible for managing public infrastructure.

He urged public administrators to use AI and digital tools to assess public services, compare infrastructure standards, identify gaps and develop practical solutions to citizens’ needs.

The keynote address was widely applauded by participants for its practical approach and relevance to contemporary governance challenges.

At the end of the conference, participants resolved that public administrators should embrace AI tools to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and improve service delivery.

They also called on ANPA to champion the digital assessment and upgrading of public infrastructure in the FCT, while advocating continuous capacity-building programmes on AI and digital governance for public servants across all cadres.

The participants further stressed that public administrators must harness available public tools and data to address public problems effectively.

The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee expressed appreciation to the keynote speaker, guests, association members and the organising committee for their contributions to the success of the conference.

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