Tech • 16h ago
Google adds Yorùbá and Hausa to its AI Search features in Nigeria
**Google Brings AI Search to the Next Level in Nigeria with Yorùbá and Hausa Support**
In a significant move to make the internet more accessible to Nigerians, Google has expanded its AI-powered Search features in the country to include Yorùbá and Hausa languages. This update allows users to engage with AI-powered Search in their native languages, making it easier to find information and explore the web more conversationally.
The addition of Yorùbá and Hausa brings the total number of African languages supported by Google's AI Search features to 13, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, isiZulu. This is part of Google's broader effort to make artificial intelligence more inclusive across Africa.
For Nigerians, this update is a game-changer, as they can now ask questions and explore information online in their mother tongue. This is not just about translation; it's about bridging the language barrier and providing culturally relevant search results that feel more natural.
Google's custom version of Gemini, a cutting-edge AI technology, has been integrated with the selected languages to enable a more nuanced understanding of local information. According to Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa at Google, "Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation – it requires a deep understanding of local information. With Gemini, we've made huge strides in language understanding."
To use AI Overviews or AI Mode in Yorùbá or Hausa, users can simply open the Google app on Android or iOS, or access Search on the web, tap the AI Mode option, and type or speak a question in their preferred language.
This update is a significant step towards making the internet more accessible and inclusive for Nigerians, and we can't wait to see the impact it will have on the way we search and explore online.