A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Adebunmi Adeniran, has developed a keyboard to support and enable writing at least 12 Nigerian languages correctly and applying
correct signs and tones to give instant meaning to the reader.

Adeniran said the keyboard invention was part of efforts to ensure that she brought back the glory associated with communication in local dialects in Nigeria. She said that the keyboard, known as NAILANGS, was conceived because of her zeal to ensure that Nigerian languages were learned with ease to prevent the
languages from going into extinction

According to her, the invention is a product of a long and thorough research, which came out of her love for languages. “The concept for NAILANGS started out of the
desire to find a good working and stress-free Yoruba keyboard to type in as using the characters in ‘insert’
mode was like living in the ice age,” she said.

“With NAILANGS keyboard, there is no need to switch from one computer to another because once it is downloaded, one is able to type in English and it can be made a bilingual due to the nature of Nigerians who mostly speak more than a language.

“With the key, one is able to type the three major languages, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and other six recognised languages which are Effik, Idoma, Fulani, Tiv etc,” she added.

Adeniran also said that one of the reasons for her choice of keys was the number of people in a particular ethnic group and their passion to speak their dialect.

“A good example are the Urhobo people. They are very passionate about writing their language. So I have incorporated their keys, even though they might not be part of the so-called ‘recognised languages’, because they love to do something with their language.”

NAILANGS keyboard is available on all platforms such as Google Playstore, iOS store and Window (Desktop).

She expressed dissatisfaction with the rate at which Nigerians use their dialects as a secondary, rather than a primary language.

According to her, coming back to Nigeria from the UK in the last one month has been a revelation. “While the children over there are itching to speak our languages, whether it is Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba, I find it very painful that I have come to Nigeria and the children are not being thought our own language’,” she said.

She stressed that what was needed was how to address the issue, saying this had led her to establish a website that teaches Yoruba language.

In lieu of that, Adebunmi has also put in place plans to collaborate with some school clubs that teach children Yoruba language once they return from school in Lagos.

Adebunmi studied Russian language (alongside English and Yoruba languages) at the University of Lagos and later Social Care and Management at both Kingston
University Surrey and Leicester University in the UK.

After working in different organisations for many years in
the UK, ranging from social care, handling people with learning difficulties and older people, she went back to language studies which was and still her passion.



www.punchng.com/uk-based-nigerian-invents-keyboard-for-local-languages/

Ok..hope the autocorrect for Bread is "Buredi" and Beans is "Ewa"? If not, go back to research and development stage

More like designed and built .
Kudos .

More grease to her elbow

Nice one!

Nice buh they should provide local words for website, homepage, download etc. and make native lang. a must in schools.

Good one. More common sense to your brain