Google launches WAXAL, a massive AI speech dataset covering 21 African languages to empower over 100 million people.
Google has launched a massive AI speech dataset called WAXAL. This new tool is designed to support 21 African languages, bringing modern voice technology to more than 100 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa.
For years, many of our local languages were left out of the global AI boom. Because there wasn't enough high-quality recorded speech, voice assistants and digital tools simply couldn't understand us.
WAXAL, a project three years in the making, was created specifically to fix this imbalance.
Built by Africa, for Africa
This isn't just another foreign project. Google teamed up with top African researchers and universities to get it right. Partners like Makerere University in Uganda and the University of Ghana played leading roles in collecting and managing the data.
In a refreshing twist for the tech industry, these local institutions retain full ownership of the data. This ensures that the development of AI on the continent remains equitable and driven by the communities themselves.
What is Inside the Dataset?
The WAXAL collection is quite impressive, featuring about 1,250 hours of natural, transcribed speech. It also includes over 20 hours of high-quality studio recordings to help build realistic AI voices.
The languages covered include:
- West Africa: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani.
- East & Central Africa: Swahili, Luganda, Acholi, and Lingala.
- Southern Africa: Shona and others.
Why This is a Game-Changer
Before now, African startups had to spend huge amounts of money to build their own speech data from scratch. Now, innovators can use WAXAL to create everything from automated healthcare bots to voice-based learning tools.
Aisha Walcott-Bryant, Head of Google Research Africa, noted that the project is all about empowerment. It gives students and entrepreneurs the foundation to build technology that reflects our unique local contexts.
This rollout perfectly complements Nigeria’s recent progress with N-ATLAS, an open-source AI model launched in late 2025 to process major Nigerian languages.
With WAXAL joining the mix, the continent is firmly positioning itself at the center of inclusive AI development.
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