Nigeria has unveiled the ATLAS Network, a new continental artificial intelligence initiative designed to accelerate the development of AI systems that better reflect Africa’s languages, cultures and knowledge systems.
The initiative was announced on Thursday by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, during the opening of the Seventh Ordinary Session of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) in Abuja.
According to Tijani, the ATLAS Network expands Nigeria’s existing N-ATLAS project, described by the government as Africa’s first government-backed open-source large language model, into a broader continental framework that will bring together governments, researchers, universities, innovators and technology partners from across Africa.
The minister said the initiative seeks to address a major gap in the global AI landscape, noting that fewer than two per cent of African languages are meaningfully supported by modern artificial intelligence systems despite the continent being home to nearly one-third of the world’s languages.
“Our ambition is for the ATLAS Network to become a platform that accelerates the development of locally relevant large language models in Africa, by Africa and for Africa,” Tijani said during the launch.
Officials said the network is intended to support the development of AI technologies trained on African languages and informed by local realities, helping ensure that future digital tools are more accessible and relevant to communities across the continent.
The launch also reflects a broader effort by African policymakers and technology leaders to increase the continent’s participation in the global AI economy and reduce dependence on technologies developed elsewhere.
The initiative has been developed through partnerships involving organisations including GSMA, Awarri and other ecosystem partners. Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia and Togo have been identified as founding member countries, with additional African nations being encouraged to join the platform.
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Speaking at the event, stakeholders said the project could help preserve and digitise African languages while creating opportunities for local developers to build AI applications using technologies tailored to the continent’s needs. More than 5,000 developers have reportedly engaged with the original N-ATLAS platform since its launch.
The announcement comes as governments across Africa seek to strengthen cooperation on digital infrastructure, innovation and artificial intelligence, with discussions at the Abuja gathering also focusing on the continent’s role in shaping future global technology and telecommunications policies.
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