Google has expanded language support for its AI-powered search features to include Yorùbá and Hausa, enabling millions of Nigerians to interact with the platform in their native languages.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company said the update allows users to access AI Overviews and AI Mode in both languages, making it easier to ask questions, receive summaries, and explore information conversationally through text or voice.
The move is part of Google’s broader push to make artificial intelligence more inclusive across Africa. With the update, Google’s AI search tools now support 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu.
According to Google, expanding language support helps remove barriers that prevent people from accessing information online.
“With this expansion, more people can now use AI Mode to ask complex questions in their preferred language and explore the web more naturally through text or voice,” the company said.
The update means a student in Kano can search for information in Hausa, while a trader in Ibadan can seek advice in Yoruba using AI-powered search.
Commenting on the development, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, said the initiative aims to ensure that Nigerians can interact with technology in their mother tongues.
“This ensures Nigerians can converse with Search in their own languages, making information more helpful and accessible for everyone,” he said.
The language expansion comes as Google continues to deepen its AI footprint in Nigeria. Last month, the company rolled out its latest AI image generation tools in the country, allowing users to create visuals directly within Google Search and Google Lens by describing what they want to see.
Powered by Google’s newest image model, Nano Banana 2, the feature enables users to generate high-quality images in seconds via the Google app or a mobile browser.
Google said the tool is designed to support students, entrepreneurs, artists, and creators by providing fast and context-aware image generation.
Kola-Ogunlade noted that the technology could allow a small business owner to visualise a storefront concept in Yaba or enable storytellers to create characters for digital comics set in Lagos.
“We want to make sure the best technology is accessible to everyone. Nigerians are some of the most creative people in the world, and we’re expanding these tools to give them new ways to express that,” he said.
The expansion aligns with growing AI adoption in Nigeria. A recent report by Google and Ipsos, titled “Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People,” found that Nigerians are among the most enthusiastic adopters of AI globally, particularly in areas such as learning, work, and entrepreneurship.
The report noted that many Nigerians see AI as a powerful tool for innovation, productivity, and self-employment in an increasingly digital economy.
