BudgIT unveils AI chatbot ‘Bimi’, launches Abuja office

A leading civic-tech organisation, The BudgIT Foundation has unveiled its flagship Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot, Bimi.

The organisation unveiled the chatbot during the launch of its new permanent office in Abuja on Tuesday.

The event, which marked a significant milestone in the organisation’s mission to drive transparency and accountability, was well attended by industry leaders, stakeholders, and partners from various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

In his opening remarks, the Global Director of BudgIT, Oluseun Onigbinde, explained that Bimi has been trained on local data collected over the years, which provides real-time insights as well as localised and accurate interpretations of financial records.

It enables journalists, researchers, policymakers, data analysts and citizens to compare budget allocations with actual expenditures, thereby promoting greater accountability in governance.

The tool incorporates other civic resources, such as Govspend.ng, which is modelled after the federal expenditure tracker, Open Treasury Portal, for examining how public funds are used.

Also speaking on the impact of the tool, Oluwatosin Iseniyi, Head of AI Accountability & Data for Society Unit at BudgIT Nigeria, opined that “With the Bimi tool, anyone can easily interact with the spendings of the government and hold the government accountable.”

New office

Speaking about the organisation’s new office, Mr Onigbinde said it enables a productive workspace and aims to advance the mission of the organisation, which is to use innovative technology to simplify public information, empower citizens, and promote accountability for a just society.

He welcomed all attendees, especially notable personae among whom were Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher of Premium Times and CEO of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID); Dayo Aiyetan, Founding Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR); Rinsola Abiola, Senior Presidential Aide on Citizen and Leadership; and Kole Shettima, Co-Director, Africa, MacArthur Foundation.

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Mr Shettima of MacArthur Foundation congratulated the entire team on their noteworthy achievements and expressed his well wishes. He said “This place becomes a place for peace, progress and innovation”.

BudgIT’s Strategic Vision

Joseph Amenaghawon, Head of Strategy and Growth Analytics at the BudgIT Foundation, presented BudgIT’s 2022-2026 strategy, titled, ‘Cultivating People Power for Impact’, outlining its six key objectives aimed at deepening civic engagement, strengthening institutional partnerships, and advancing technological innovations to enhance fiscal transparency.

He noted that storytelling has always been a key component of BudgIT’s strategy, adding, “It is important for us to strengthen our partnership with media organisations to amplify the reach and impact of our communication efforts.”

Vitalis Obi, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, commended BudgIT for its achievements and groundbreaking work in the budget ecosystem.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, CON, we heartily felicitate with BudgIT on this laudable feat,” he said. He further assured the organisation of renewed and strengthened partnerships in the future.

About Bimi.budgit.org

Using AI, the Bimi tool was created to enhance fiscal transparency, social accountability, and citizen engagement in Nigeria and across Africa.

It leverages available and pre-existing government records to track and analyse fiscal and public finance data, making budgetary information accessible and comprehensible to all citizens.

The chatbot also helps users to understand government and public financial records, macroeconomic and microeconomic indicators, and demographic trends by explaining, interpreting and simplifying the data presented to it.