Google has expanded language support for its AI-powered Search features in Nigeria, adding Yorùbá and Hausa to its AI Overviews and AI Mode tools.
The update allows users to interact with AI-powered Search in their native languages, enabling quick summaries of information and more conversational ways to explore the web.
According to Google, the rollout is part of a broader push to make artificial intelligence more inclusive across Africa. With the addition of Yorùbá and Hausa, the company now supports 13 African languages across its AI Search features.
Across Africa, the AI features now support Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu. The company said the languages were selected based on strong search activity across the continent.
For Nigerians, the update means people can ask questions and explore information online in their mother tongue, allowing for quick summaries and conversational search results that feel more natural and culturally relevant.
This update is not just about translation; it’s about localised understanding and bridging the language barrier. By integrating these languages into its custom version of Gemini, Google is ensuring that its AI can handle the nuances of how Nigerians actually speak and ask questions.
“Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation — it requires a nuanced understanding of local information. With the advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities of our custom version of Gemini in Search, we’ve made huge strides in language understanding,” Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa at Google, noted.
To use AI Overviews or AI Mode in Yorùbá or Hausa, users can open the Google app on Android or iOS, or access Search on the web, tap the AI Mode option within the Search experience, and type or speak a question in Yorùbá or Hausa.
According to Google, the language expansion is powered by its customised version of Gemini integrated into Search. The company says this feature allows users to ask complex questions and receive AI-generated responses while exploring related information through text or voice.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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