Google Introduces Yorùbá, Hausa to Nigeria’s AI-Powered Search Experience

BY Mercy Omotosho
March 5, 2026
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Google has introduced Yorùbá and Hausa to its AI-powered Search tools in Nigeria, broadening the languages supported by its AI Overviews and AI Mode features.

The update enables people who speak these languages to receive AI-generated summaries and interact with Google Search conversationally in their native tongues. The company noted that the addition forms part of a broader expansion across the African continent, increasing the total number of supported African languages on the platform to 13.

Through the new feature, users can pose detailed questions and obtain AI-generated responses in either Yorùbá or Hausa. Queries can be made by typing or through voice commands directly within Google Search.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa, said the initiative is aimed at improving how Search understands and responds to local languages rather than merely translating them.

He explained that creating a global search experience involves more than translation; it requires a deep understanding of local information. According to him, the custom version of Gemini integrated into Search has improved multimodal and reasoning capabilities, allowing the system to better understand languages and provide more relevant responses. He added that the goal is to enable Nigerians to interact with Search in their mother tongues, making information easier to access and more useful.

The feature is powered by a tailored version of Google’s Gemini model embedded in Search, designed to strengthen multimodal reasoning and enhance how users interact with information through both text and voice.

With the latest addition, the African languages now supported by the system are Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu.

Users can access the feature through the Google app on Android and iOS devices or via the web version of Search by selecting AI Mode and asking questions in their preferred language.

Google said the development reflects its broader effort to ensure advanced AI technologies remain inclusive, culturally relevant, and accessible to diverse communities across Africa.