The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has unveiled a “CLHEEAN” app to bridge the communication gap between the federal government and Nigerians regarding the government’s policies, projects, and programmes.

The director-general of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, unveiled the mobile app on Monday in Abuja, expressing optimism that the new digital approach would enhance citizen engagement.

The Crime, Lawlessness, Health, Education, Environment, Abuse, and Nationalism (CLHEEAN) app is an AI-powered tool that aims to bridge the gap between the government and the public, promote national values, and facilitate citizen feedback.

“The CLHEEAN mobile app is one platform with one mission: to ensure that every Nigerian can access information, engage directly, and most importantly, be heard.

“It brings government closer to the people than ever before. The app features civic education, real-time information, and engagement tools directly in citizens’ hands.

“With an AI-powered voice and chat assistant and multilingual capabilities, that means you can do Yoruba, Hausa, or Igbo for now. Subsequently, we will continue to add more Nigerian languages to it,” he said.

The NOA boss said the app aligned with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, built on inclusive governance, transparency, and accountability.

“Beyond the technology, this initiative is about the Nigerian people. It is about giving citizens a voice; ensuring that decisions are shaped by real experiences, real needs, and real feedback; and ultimately building trust between government and the citizens.

“This is imperative because government works best when citizens are heard, government listens, and actions follow.

“With this initiative, we are laying the foundation for a more informed citizenry, a more responsive government, and a more united nation,” he said.

Mr Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to download the CLHEEAN app via Android and iOS to enable them to participate and speak up.

“I encourage all of us to seek knowledge, to take the access very seriously. So, let our voice be heard to participate and be included in the process of governance,” he said.

The NOA DG said the app was not meant for people in rural areas, adding that, as a communication agency, it created a number of platforms over two years ago after conducting audience analysis.

“Each platform is targeted to a particular segment of society. The platform we are using to reach the elite and the youth who can use the app is different from the platform that is available for people in rural areas.

“Today, we work with over 200 radio stations on a daily basis. We have a WhatsApp group where all of them have their representatives.

“When we drop information now, they all report simultaneously throughout the day in all these over 200 radio stations,” he said.

He said that, according to the NOA analysis, the over 200 radio stations together provide coverage in about 72 local Nigerian languages, adding that they are spread across the states of the Federation.

“We can safely say that we cover every blade of the land of this country with information that reaches people in their local languages.

“This is because 72 local languages are not something that we can try out. So we have different communication vehicles for each segment. So, the app is meant for those who rely on it,” he said.

(NAN)