(DDM) – Nigeria has taken a bold step in its digital transformation journey by releasing N-ATLAS, an open-source artificial intelligence model tailored for Nigerian languages.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the unveiling took place in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, with Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Minister, Dr. Bosun Tijani, making the announcement.
N-ATLAS, developed in collaboration with Lagos-based startup Awarri, is designed to recognise and transcribe spoken words as well as generate text in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Nigerian-accented English.
The launch positions Nigeria among countries striving for “AI sovereignty,” a concept that emphasizes building homegrown models capable of understanding local languages, contexts, and cultural nuances.
Dr. Tijani explained that the initiative reflects months of work since April 2024 when the project was first announced, adding that it marks a milestone in “responsible and inclusive AI.”
The models are freely available for research, prototyping, and small-scale use, but any commercial deployment with over 1,000 end-users will require a licence agreement with the government.
According to Awarri’s lead project engineer, Sunday Afariogun, the first release is targeted at developers and researchers, not consumers, meaning N-ATLAS currently functions more as a foundational tool than a ready-made product.
He noted that while everyday Nigerians may not yet interact directly with the model, it lays the groundwork for sector-specific applications in healthcare, agriculture, education, and beyond.
For example, EdTech company Lena has already begun testing the model to deliver real-time translation and feedback for children learning in their native languages, especially in rural communities.
Similarly, researchers like Zainab Tairu believe the model will help address gaps in access to reliable datasets for projects in medication management, public health, and natural language processing.
Industry players argue that Nigeria’s AI ecosystem has long been constrained by models trained predominantly on foreign data, which often fail to capture local expressions and dialects.
By lowering the entry barrier for developers, N-ATLAS may enable new innovations such as farmers using voice-enabled platforms in Igbo to diagnose crop diseases or patients describing symptoms in Nigerian English to AI-powered health assistants.
But challenges remain. Access to computing power, cloud credits, and reliable datasets continues to limit local developers, while funding for research remains modest compared to global standards.
Afariogun admitted that Awarri still relies heavily on foreign cloud providers such as AWS and Google Cloud due to limited domestic infrastructure capable of training large-scale AI models.
He emphasized that Nigeria cannot afford to delay innovation until infrastructure catches up, insisting that building solutions and improving infrastructure must happen simultaneously.
Industry stakeholders warn that without proper support, N-ATLAS could remain symbolic, like a tool celebrated for existing but underutilized due to lack of funding, documentation, and community engagement.
Comparisons have already been drawn with Egypt, which has pledged to produce 6,000 AI research outputs by 2030, while Nigeria has only managed 20 peer-reviewed papers with government support so far.
Awarri’s Vice President of Marketing, Aizehi Itua, stressed that the model also plays a role in preserving African languages, noting that fewer than two percent of Africa’s 2,000 languages are currently represented in AI systems.
He warned that if urgent steps are not taken, many indigenous languages risk extinction, making projects like N-ATLAS critical not only for technology but also for cultural survival.
Experts believe the road ahead will require not just technical development but also strong policy frameworks, grants, and incentives for innovators, alongside safeguards for privacy and accountability to build public trust.
If successful, N-ATLAS could become the backbone for Nigeria’s next generation of AI applications, enabling citizens to use digital tools in their own voices and languages without barriers.
For now, the nation watches to see whether this symbolic launch will translate into practical, life-changing innovations in classrooms, clinics, and farms across the country.