A Nigerian technology expert, Gunu Usman, has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application designed to combat fake news and misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The application, known as BAT-BOT AI, was launched in Abuja as a digital platform aimed at helping citizens verify information and access accurate details about governance and public policies.
Usman, founder of LYT24 Technologies and lead developer of the platform, said the initiative was created to ensure that facts circulate faster than falsehood in Nigeria’s fast-paced digital information environment.
He explained that the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, hate speech and manipulated narratives poses a serious risk to democratic stability and public trust.
According to him, the AI-powered platform was designed to support public access to verified information while countering the spread of misleading content across digital platforms.
“In an era where elections are increasingly won or lost in the digital arena, Nigeria is witnessing the emergence of a new kind of political infrastructure — one powered not by billboards or campaign caravans, but by artificial intelligence,” Usman said.
He noted that as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the main battleground for political narratives has shifted to the smartphones of millions of Nigerians, where information spreads rapidly and public perception can significantly influence political outcomes.
Usman described BAT-BOT AI as a sovereign AI-powered civic information and fact-verification platform developed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital information ecosystem ahead of the next electoral cycle.
He said the platform is dedicated to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the mission of promoting transparency, safeguarding verified information and strengthening democratic engagement in the digital age.
The developer explained that BAT-BOT AI is currently accessible through several digital channels, allowing Nigerians to interact with the system to verify claims, ask questions about government policies and obtain information about national development initiatives.
Usman said the platform enables users to verify different forms of content, including text messages, images, videos and voice notes.
He added that users can also obtain simplified explanations about government policies and projects and receive real-time responses to civic and governance-related questions.
To ensure inclusiveness and bridge literacy and language barriers, the AI system explains public policies, governance issues and democratic processes in multiple languages including English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin.
Usman said the development team built the platform in response to what it described as a growing digital misinformation challenge.
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