African languages are getting some AI love, thanks to Meta and Goloka Analytics
Languages that were once pushed to the margins of tech are now being welcomed into the mainstream.
We've seen how tech has been dominated by a handful of languages, however, Nigerian and African languages, in general, have often felt left out despite the rich culture.
But things are changing as Goloka Analytics, a Nigerian tech company, has partnered with Meta to collect data in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Fulfulde, and Urhobo. The goal is to make Meta's AI models more inclusive, so people can use their languages to get smart results.
Imagine your grandma speaking into her phone in Urhobo and getting the same results as someone speaking English or French. That's what this partnership is all about. What's interesting to note here is that Goloka isn't just dumping data into the system. They're using a hyperlocal approach that engages with local communities to ensure the AI represents the people it's meant to serve. As the founder Joshua Olufemi puts it, they're building AI with people, not just about them.
This matters because most AI systems are trained on widely spoken languages like English or Chinese. But what about everyone else? By contributing linguistic datasets that reflect real-world usage, Goloka is helping to fix one of AI's biggest blind spots: language bias. And that's a big deal, especially for languages spoken by millions of people in Nigeria and beyond.
Kelechi Edeh
Goloka adds that the data will be ethically collected with support from universities, language technologists, and native speakers. According to Oluseyi Olufemi, Country Lead at Dataphyte, the collaboration fits perfectly within their framework of language, learning, and localisation, ensuring the tech reflects the lives and realities of the people it’s designed for.
It's not just about this one project, though. This development is part of a broader movement. The Nigerian government has already partnered with local startup Awarri to develop the country's first publicly supported large language model, focusing on underrepresented languages. With initiatives like Goloka's gaining traction, Nigeria is emerging as a key player in the global AI ecosystem.
What this partnership really represents is a cultural shift. It's a sign that languages that were once pushed to the margins of tech are now being welcomed into the mainstream. That's huge, not just for AI, but for inclusion, identity, and access. It's a big deal, and it's exciting to see where this takes us.
