A Nigerian artificial intelligence startup has introduced a large language model across six African countries, aiming to build AI systems tailored to African users, languages and cultural contexts that global platforms have largely overlooked.
Veta Origin, founded by entrepreneur Ismail Waziri, launched the platform in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia. The model supports English alongside widely spoken African languages including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Swahili, enabling users to interact with AI in their native languages.
Waziri said the idea emerged from frustration with existing AI tools that struggle with African contexts. Unlike mainstream AI systems that rely heavily on Western datasets, Veta Origin’s model is trained using African languages and region-specific data, with the goal of providing more accurate responses on topics such as local markets, public services and social systems.
The startup believes its platform could support sectors including education, small businesses, healthcare information and government communication. The six-country rollout represents an early testing phase, with users encouraged to try the platform while developers collect feedback to refine language understanding and improve response accuracy.
While competing with global AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini presents a significant challenge, Veta Origin said it is focused on building solutions specifically designed for African communities rather than replicating existing global tools. With Africa’s population exceeding 1.4 billion and internet access continuing to expand, demand for locally relevant AI is expected to grow.
