Nigeria, one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world. Hausa was an official language of the northern states from 1951 to 1967 in Nigeria. It is the most widely spoken language, although English is the official language. In addition to English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fula, and English Creole are widely spoken. Many of the languages exist in written form. Nevertheless, Nigeria is a large and complex country and the linguistic situation in many areas remains poorly known. There are instances of neglect in terms of the development of some groups, and this creates problems, which have made the “Unity in Diversity” concept a mirage. But, how can AI prevent these challenges in the West African Country?
Nigeria alone has over 500 languages, one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world. The languages of Nigeria are classified into three broad linguistic groups: Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afro-Asiatic. Meanwhile, the huge Niger-Congo group is further subdivided into nine major branches, including the Kwa subgroup, spoken in the extreme southwestern corner of the country; the Ijoid branch, spoken in the Niger Delta region; the Atlantic subgroup, which most notably includes Fula; the extensive Benue-Congo subgroup, which includes Tiv, Jukun, Edo, Igbo, Igala, Idoma, Nupe, Gwari, Yoruba, and several languages of the Cross River basin such as Efik, Ibibio, Anang, and Ekoi; and the Adamawa-Ubangi languages, such as Awak, Waja, Waka, and Tula, spoken in northern Nigeria. Correspondingly, the Nilo-Saharan group is represented in Nigeria principally by Kanuri, although speakers of Bagirmi and Zerma are also present in the country. While the Afro-Asiatic is a much larger linguistic group and comprises Hausa, Margi, and Bade, among others.
Unity in Diversity and the Changing language patterns
Within the context of this ethnic multiplicity, the cliché “Unity in Diversity” has often been used to describe Nigeria as a country. Each State is made up of different ethnic groups, both major and minor. There are instances of neglect in terms of the development of some groups, and this creates problems, which have made the “Unity in Diversity” concept a mirage. Some groups, especially the minority ones feel aggrieved because they are neglected in the development of infrastructure and their languages. However, although these groups have separate characteristics which are peculiar to them, they share general features which, when combined, can qualify for a kind of ‘’National Identity’’. However, Nigeria is a large and complex country, and the linguistic situation in many areas remains poorly known. Every year, the existence several new languages or dialects is recorded for the first time, and there is every reason to think this will continue.
Sadly, but inevitably, each probably also sees the death of the last speaker or remember of a language. The issue is not only remoteness, although some areas of the country remain very inaccessible, but also changing perceptions of ethnolinguistic affiliation. Many people who were previously content to be classified with one, often inappropriate, the ethnic label, now wish to establish their own identity. For instance, is the changing perceptions of the ‘Jaba’ or Hyamic languages, spoken in the south of Kaduna State between Kwoi and Nok. Although the name ‘Jaba’ is found in all the earlier sources, it is a Hausaism which has been rejected by the speakers. The first record of Hyam is Castelnau (1851) who gives a word list in the rather unfortunate context of ‘une nation d’hommes à queue’ and three years later Koelle (1854) gives another word list. Over the years it has become clear that they constitute a complex of languages and the name ‘Hyamic’ has been given to them. The most recent Hyamic language to come to light was in 2008, with a first record of the Shang language, spoken in the village of Kushemfa, south of Kurmin Jibrin on the Kubacha road.
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Harmonizing Technology Adoption and Safeguarding indigenous languages
Technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), plays a crucial role in preserving endangered Indigenous languages and cultures worldwide. Indigenous communities can benefit from technology adoption while maintaining their cultural heritage. Experts are of the opinion that, despite these grand visions to harness digital technologies, the ongoing development of AI tends to overwhelmingly focus on mainstream and high-resource languages such as English. Applications such as Google Translate, Duolingo, Wooloroo etc. are increasingly becoming popular and responsive to the language learning needs of the language communities. However, these applications still require a large language corpus for Natural Language Processing i.e., the ability of computers to process and analyse human language, usually available only to high-resource languages.
Given these social and political contexts, which do not necessarily create conditions that support minoritized languages, the development of these technologies for Indigenous, tribal, and minority (ITM) languages is faced with additional challenges of adequate resources, biases in existing technology, and linguistic hierarchies. While the use of AI in language education enables the reconfiguration of space, time and responsibility with the potential of language pedagogy integrated into a variety of ways, their access, availability, and utility may be different for different communities. Thus, imaginations of the potential futures remain severely limited, especially in contexts where Indigenous languages are required to adapt to the existing AI infrastructures.
Most recently, the Nigerian government, through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has unveiled Nigeria’s first Multilingual Large Language Model (LLM). This initiative marks a critical step towards integrating AI technology with the country’s diverse linguistic heritage. Meanwhile, the LLM, announced by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Communications Minister, is part of a broader effort to position Nigeria as a leader in AI development across the continent. The model was launched following a four-day AI workshop held in Abuja, which drew over 120 AI experts. The development of the LLM is a collaboration between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR), Awarritech—a Nigerian AI company, and DataDotOrg, a global tech company.
Moreover, designed to support five low-resource languages and accented English, the LLM aims to improve the representation of these languages in AI applications, promoting more inclusive and effective technology solutions. This approach is expected to enhance local content and provide a foundation for more nuanced AI-driven applications and services. Media report indicated that the project will also be reinforced by significant educational support, with over 7,000 fellows from the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program participating. This initiative marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s AI landscape. In the interim, the LLM, powered by Awarri’s Artificial Intelligence technology, is designed to be trained in five indigenous Nigerian languages. At present, this platform supporting five of Nigeria’s most spoken languages – Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Pidgin, and Ibibio – alongside accented English, the platform invites users to contribute by translating English sentences into their local language through audio recordings. Furthermore, the innovative approach aims to build the largest dataset of native Nigerian languages, laying the foundation for the development of AI models and applications tailored to Nigeria’s linguistic diversity.
In conclusion, Nigeria remains one of the most linguistically diverse nations on earth; the comparisons are with Brazil and New Guinea. Its languages are one of the least researched (as a percentage of total living languages). Coverage of the Amazon is comprehensive by comparison with Nigeria. Its languages are some of the most threatened (by predator languages, globalisation etc.). Observer says, it is one of the highest global producers of sentimental hot air about the status of its languages, unsupported by research and not followed up by resources and publication. Language experts have noted that the process of social identification should begin from home. Every Nigerian child should acquire a mother-tongue or father-tongue, as the case may be. That is a primary requirement for the family group and identity, and children need a tool of identity at that level of socialization.
Similarly, language is a very relevant tool in the process of achieving national identification, prestige, unity and the development. Developing Nigerian indigenous languages will enable the government to “speak” to the people in languages they are competent in, and this will promote national identity and national integration. Technology expert has also emphasized the importance of AI tools which can help indigenous Nigerian languages, empowering the nation with a profound understanding of its cultural and linguistic intricacies. While collaboration with Indigenous communities in language preservation not only safeguards cultures but also improves AI ethics and technology. Therefore, there is need for a nuanced approach that recognizes the interplay between technology, language education, and broader social and political factors.
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