AFRILUGHA
 | Affiliate Applicant This group is currently in the process of applying to become a Wikimedia movement affiliate to the Affiliations Committee. To find the list of active Wikimedia affiliates, please visit the formal list of Wikimedia Movement Affiliates. |
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| Location | African Health Community |
|---|---|
| Main office | Ilorin, Kwara, Nigeria. |
| Volunteers | 15 |
| Key people | |
| E-mail address | afrilugha00@gmail.com |
AFRILUGHA is a language-and-technology-focused Wikimedia user group dedicated to bridging African language content gaps and integrating technology to preserve, document, and promote African languages. The group unites linguists, translators, developers, and editors across Africa, working collaboratively to expand the digital presence of African languages on Wikimedia space and beyond.
Vision
AfriLugha envisions a future where African languages thrive in the digital space through the seamless integration of translation, localization, and language technology. Our mission extends beyond Wikipedia and Wikidata to include TranslateWiki, Wikiquote, Wikibooks, Wikimedia Commons, and other open knowledge platforms. We aim to empower communities to leverage AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and other open-source tools to advance African language presence online.
Objectives
- Promote translation, localization, and adaptation of Wikimedia content into African languages, incorporating machine-assisted translation tools for efficiency.
- Build a sustainable community of language technologists, translators, and Wikimedia contributors, fostering peer-to-peer mentorship.
- Train and support new editors in digital linguistics, AI-assisted content creation, and lexicographical work via workshops, edit-a-thons, and tech-driven campaigns.
- Encourage the documentation, digitization, and preservation of underrepresented African languages by creating lexemes, quotes, books, and audio/video resources using open digital archives.
- Research and identify barriers to African language representation on Wikimedia and develop data-driven solutions.
- Partner with academic institutions, linguistic research labs, and tech hubs to promote African language NLP projects and cross-platform digital engagement.
Activities
To pioneer the first event of the AfriLugha User Group, we hosted a virtual training session that brought together notable language enthusiasts from both within and outside the Wikimedia space. The training emphasized the importance of leveraging language with artificial intelligence (AI) and explored how African languages can be matched with the technological advancements already achieved by Western languages. The event served as a platform to discuss the role of digital tools in the preservation and promotion of African languages, while also encouraging participants to contribute to Wikimedia projects using their native tongues.
History
Many may ask how we came up with the name AfriLugha. The word is a combination of "Afri", representing Africa, and "Lugha", which means "language" in Swahili. We chose Swahili because it is one of the most widely spoken and recognized languages on the continent, and is often regarded as a symbol of unity and cultural identity in Africa. By blending these elements, AfriLugha reflects our core mission: to advance the visibility and growth of African languages in the digital and Wikimedia space.