Awarri, a small startup based in Lagos, launched its AI research lab a year ago and has now become the driving force behind Nigeria’s first government-backed multilingual Large Language Model (LLM). Developed in partnership with DataDotOrg, NITDA, and NCAIR, the LLM will initially be trained in five commonly spoken Nigerian languages and accented English. Despite being a newcomer in the AI industry, Awarri, founded by Silas Adekunle and Eniola Edun, has taken the lead in this project.

The journey of Awarri began with the co-founders’ experiences in the gaming industry, with Adekunle’s previous venture gaining fame through a partnership with Apple. In 2023, Awarri launched a data annotation lab in Lagos, employing over 100 workers to collect and annotate data for language models. They also launched LangEasy, an app to crowdsource voice and text data from users across Nigeria to train their LLM. The goal is to gather extensive data, with initial targets of 24,000 hours of audio and long-term goals of up to 500,000 hours.

Overall, Awarri’s innovative approach to AI in Africa has led to the development of Nigeria’s first multilingual LLM, showcasing the potential for technology and innovation in the region.

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