Burkina Faso bets on AI to make digital services accessible in local languages 🇧🇫🤖

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Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts, and Electronic Communications has launched an initiative to develop an artificial intelligence system designed to promote local languages. Announced on March 24, 2025, the move marks a significant step in the country’s broader digital transformation strategy.

Local languages take center stage in digital policy 🗣️

In many remote areas, access to digital tools remains limited—often due to language barriers. To address this gap, the government is working on an AI system tailored to the country’s linguistic and socio-cultural realities.

Four local languages have been identified as priorities: Mooré, Dioula, Fulfulde, and Gulmancema. The goal is to make digital services more accessible to a wider segment of the population.

According to the ministry, “integrating local languages into emerging technologies reflects Burkina Faso’s commitment to building AI that is inclusive, accessible, and grounded in its socio-cultural context.”

Known for its rich linguistic diversity, the country also aims to strengthen capabilities in speech recognition, machine translation, and text-to-speech technologies.

Officials say the initiative is part of 12 major digital transformation projects planned through 2030, including a flagship effort focused on developing AI that serves all citizens.

A growing pan-African movement 🌍💡

Burkina Faso’s efforts are part of a broader trend across Africa to develop inclusive language technologies.

Projects like N-Atlas v1, supported by Meta, are working to promote languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and Nigerian English. In Benin, the J’aimeMaLangue initiative is also leveraging digital tools to elevate local languages.

Meanwhile, Google’s Wazal project aims to integrate at least 21 African languages, including Acholi, Swahili, Igbo, Fulani, Hausa, Yoruba, and Luganda.

With this initiative, Burkina Faso is joining a continent-wide push to bring African languages into the digital ecosystem. Authorities hope it will drive greater digital inclusion and improve access to technology for underserved communities.

Can artificial intelligence truly help preserve and elevate African languages in the digital era?