Nigeria’s digital economy is drawing global attention as MTN Group steps up to support the country’s mission to create African large language models (LLMs). The telecom giant said it would mobilise resources to advance the collection of datasets across African languages, strengthening the continent’s position in the global AI race.
The move followed Nigeria’s call during The Y’ello Chair Vodcast: Your Link to the African Continent, where the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy urged collaboration between government and the private sector to preserve linguistic diversity through AI. “We must act now to ensure our languages are represented in future technologies,” the minister noted.
Building AI in Africa’s Voice
The push is anchored on the Nigerian Atlas for Languages & AI at Scale (N-ATLAS), an open-source multilingual LLM co-developed with Awarri Technologies. With Nigeria’s more than 500 languages, the project offers a foundation for digitising and safeguarding African languages at scale. Organisers say the ATLAS framework is designed for use across the continent, unlocking opportunities in education, healthcare, commerce, and governance.
MTN, which operates in 16 markets across Africa and the Middle East, sees the initiative as a pathway to inclusive digital growth. “This resonates with our mission to connect people and communities through technology,” an MTN executive said.
Across Africa, where over 2,000 languages remain underrepresented in AI, the lack of structured datasets has raised concerns of exclusion. Stakeholders hope that advancing local AI solutions will not only widen financial and social inclusion but also preserve dignity while reducing poverty.
The rise of Africa-focused AI is being closely watched. If Nigeria and partners like MTN succeed, the continent could play a defining role in shaping technology that truly speaks its people’s language.
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