Lagos Urges Use Of AI To Improve Government Communication

The Lagos State Government has advocated the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen public communication, with the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, urging senior communication managers to embrace emerging technologies.

Omotoso said AI could facilitate the dissemination of government information “more quickly, efficiently, and accurately”, adding that it could also help government respond better to citizens’ needs.

The Commissioner spoke after a five-day international workshop themed “Strategic Public Service Communication Dynamics: Empowering Public Sector Leaders”, held at the Holiday Inn, Coram Street, Central London.

The workshop brought together senior public communication managers from Lagos and Plateau states, with participants receiving practical training on AI and strategic communication tools.

According to the state government, the participants examined how AI could be deployed to improve the communication of government policies, programmes, initiatives and services, while also exploring citizen engagement, digital innovation and public trust.

The participants worked as a cross-functional team to examine how emerging technologies could strengthen the way the Lagos State Government communicates with citizens.

Setting the tone for the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of UK Conferences, Wale Oyeniyi, said the programme came “at a critical moment of rapid technological change and evolving citizens’ expectations.”

Oyeniyi said public communication had moved beyond a routine administrative function to become “a strategic pillar of effective governance, public trust, national security and socio-economic stability.”

The workshop was designed to equip public-sector communication managers with practical knowledge, strategic insight and technology-enabled tools for more efficient, responsive and citizen-focused communication.

The programme featured expert keynotes, hands-on laboratories, simulations, applied exercises, interactions and reflective practice, with examples and case scenarios tailored to the Nigerian public-sector environment.

Participants examined the opportunities presented by AI, with particular attention to strategic planning, ethical application, accuracy, transparency, accountability, professional judgment and the preservation of public trust.

The practical sessions also exposed participants to AI tools for research, communication planning, content development, message refinement, digital engagement and audience-focused communication.

Through simulations and applied exercises, the participants explored how AI could improve their professional workflows while retaining human oversight and institutional responsibility.

The programme also addressed implementation and measurement, enabling participants to consider how AI-supported communication strategies could be integrated into institutional processes and how their impact could be assessed.

The organisers said the approach provided participants with a practical framework for moving from experimentation with AI tools to “responsible and measurable application” within government communication.