Preserving African Languages with AI and Blockchain: A Focus on Nigeria’s Efforts
The chairman of the Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN), Lucky Uwakwe, is on a mission to preserve African languages at risk of extinction using artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, Uwakwe emphasized the urgent need to protect languages that are dwindling due to various socio-economic factors.
Uwakwe pointed to the example of languages in Plateau State, Nigeria, where insecurity has led to the displacement of communities, causing their languages to scatter and decline. To combat this issue, Uwakwe believes that leveraging AI and blockchain technologies is crucial in ensuring no language is lost or becomes extinct.
One of the key challenges highlighted by Uwakwe is the lack of language support provided by global tech giants like Google, which only offers translation for a few Nigerian languages. This gap in language support is not unique to Nigeria but is a broader challenge across many African languages.
By integrating blockchain with AI, communities can be incentivized to speak and document their native languages, earning tokens in the process. These data sets are then used to train AI models to understand and support these languages, ensuring their survival and inclusion in future technological developments.
Uwakwe’s commitment to this cause is further demonstrated by his recent appointment as the LingoAI community ambassador for Nigeria and Africa. As CEO of Sabi Group, Uwakwe has been a strong advocate for blockchain and Web3 solutions across the continent.
This initiative aligns with other efforts in Nigeria to harness blockchain and AI technologies for societal improvement. Just last month, Olanipekun Olukoyede, the chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, highlighted the potential of blockchain and AI in addressing illicit financial flows in Africa.
As Uwakwe continues to push for the preservation and restoration of endangered languages through innovative technologies, Nigeria is paving the way for innovation and progress in the region.