• Emerges Real Nigerian of the Week

• Safiu Kehinde

A final year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Saheed Azeez, has launched a Nigerian accented text-to-speech model.

NPO reported that the Artificial Intelligence powered model called, YarnGPT, accommodated all the nuances and complexities of Nigerian languages as it read out text in clear Nigerian accents.

In acknowledgement and support of the Azeez’s innovation, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) honoured him as the Real Nigerian of the Week.

The Agency had, in a post on their official X handle on Thursday, announced the launching of the text-to-speech model, stressing that the innovation will not only transform how we experience AI in Nigeria, but make the technology more inclusive and reflective of our unique identity.

“Azeez Saheed has just launched YarnGPT, a groundbreaking Text-to-Speech (TTS) model that brings Nigerian-accented English to life.

“This innovation is set to transform how we experience AI in Nigeria, making technology more inclusive and reflective of our unique identity.

“Supporting and encouraging our local innovators is a duty of care. At NOA, we take pride in celebrating Nigerian excellence.

“Today, we recognize Azeez Saheed as the Real Nigerian of the Week!” NOA wrote.