Most people tend to think about Africa’s diversity — ethnic and linguistic — as a significant barrier to solving the problems plaguing people there. It’s hard not to blame ethnic differences for the many regional conflicts. However, the Center for Digitization of Indigenous African Languages (CDIAL), founded by three Nigerian entrepreneurs — Yinka Iyinolakan, Soji Akinlabi, and Shona Olalere– has committed to doing something about the diversity problem. They’ve created what is, in effect, a revolutionary research and deployment enterprise on a mission to digitize indigenous African languages. This is their creative answer to the challenge of bringing all indigenous languages into the continental and global conversations. Learn more here. Why is this important, you may ask.
Of the many good reasons we can squeeze into this post, the most weighty is that African diversity is ultimately an untapped natural resource capable of generating innovative solutions for people on the continent elsewhere. As of 2024, CDIAL’s aptly named app “Ïndigenuis” supported more than 13 languages across the region. Equipped with a multilingual smart keyboard, this Ingenius makes for a highly convenient AI-powered tool for various uses, including customer support, search, chatbots, copywriting services, translation, and content summarizing, to name a few. In addition to financial services, CDIAL ultimately bridges the digital divide in Africa by localizing access to education and healthcare. This is a massive win for communities that do not primarily speak colonial languages like English or French.
What does this mean for African conversations in business and societal settings? For one thing, more customers can access valuable services while preserving and elevating the continent’s linguistic diversity. CDIAL is creating a more inclusive technological ecosystem for over one billion Africans by integrating AI-driven solutions into everyday applications. Investors are taking note. CDIAL secured US$50,000 from the Pharrell Williams Black Empowerment in recognition of this trailblazing business solution. The company was also selected for Google’s Africa accelerator program because of its role as a key agent for transformative innovation in Africa’s emerging AI ecosystem.
