The Institute for Inclusive Digital Africa (IIDIA) and Benin’s Agency for Information Systems and Digital Technology (ASIN) have launched a Regional Innovation and Digital Technology Lab in Cotonou. Its first initiative is the development of a voice-to-voice AI model in Fon, one of Benin’s most widely spoken languages.
The project aims to bridge the digital divide for millions excluded by language barriers, especially rural and elderly populations. It enables users to interact with digital services entirely in Fon – without needing literacy or proficiency in French or English.
“This is about more than technology – it’s about dignity,” said ASIN Director General Marc André Loko. “Africa’s digital future cannot be built without its languages, voices, and realities.”
A working prototype is expected within nine months, powered by NVIDIA A100/H100 GPUs and built using community-based voice data. The lab plans to expand the model to other African languages and apply it to key sectors like agriculture, public health, education, and e-governance.
Backed by the Gates Foundation and supported by the digital ministries of Benin, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, the initiative reinforces Africa’s digital sovereignty and champions open innovation and South-South collaboration.
