Across Africa, the AI divide is increasingly becoming a language divide. While artificial intelligence continues to reshape access to information, education, healthcare, and public services globally, many African languages remain significantly underrepresented in modern AI systems, limiting participation for millions of people across the continent.
To help bridge this gap, Microsoft Research, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, Google.org, and the Masakhane African Languages Hub, has officially launched the LINGUA Africa Open Call for Inclusive AI Language Projects, an initiative designed to support the development of AI tools, datasets, and technologies built around African languages and real-world community needs.
The initiative is inviting applications from universities, nonprofits, startups, research institutions, and community organisations that work to strengthen African language representation in digital systems and AI models.
“Africa’s linguistic diversity is one of its greatest strengths, yet many African languages remain underrepresented in AI technologies,” Said Chenai Chair, Director of Masakhane African Languages Hub “Through LINGUA Africa, we hope to support the development of inclusive and locally relevant AI systems that better reflect the communities they are designed to serve.”
Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages, yet most large language models continue to be heavily shaped by English and other widely represented global languages. This has raised growing concerns around digital inclusion and whether emerging AI technologies can effectively serve communities where oral language, multilingual communication, and code-switching are part of everyday life.
Through the initiative, selected projects will receive funding support ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, alongside cloud compute credits, technical mentorship, and collaboration opportunities through Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and the broader research ecosystem supporting the initiative.
The program is particularly interested in projects focused on African language dataset creation, multilingual AI model development, open-source innovation, and sector-specific solutions in areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, food security, financial inclusion, and public service delivery.
Chenai Chair, Director of the Masakhane African Languages Hub, emphasised the importance of ensuring African communities play an active role in shaping the future of AI.
“The future of AI must be shaped by the people it serves,” she said. “Supporting African languages in technology is not just about inclusion, it is about ensuring communities can fully participate in the digital future.”
Beyond research, the initiative is also focused on practical application. Microsoft Research Africa teams based in Nairobi are already exploring how language-aware AI systems perform in low-bandwidth environments, on basic mobile devices, and within communities where local languages are central to everyday communication.
One example is Project Gecko, where researchers are helping adapt tools such as FarmerChat to support agricultural extension workers with locally relevant farming guidance, delivered through local languages and grounded in local conditions.
The launch reflects growing momentum around locally driven AI innovation in Africa, with increasing recognition that language may become one of the most important factors in determining whether AI narrows or deepens global inequality.
Applications for the LINGUA Africa Open Call are currently ongoing and will close on June 15, 2026.
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