Nigerian linguist, Adebunmi Adeniran has created a digital keyboard that enables writing in 12 Nigerian languages. Based in the UK, Adeniran designed the keyboard to accomodate the characters needed for Nigerian languages. Adeniran fears that these dialects risk becoming extinct in a digital world that is reliant on keyboards tailored to English.
Her keyboard called Nailangs, allows a user to write in any of the 12 languages using accurate signs and tones that tailor the meaning of the words based on the dialect.
The keyboard accommodates all platforms and can be downloaded from the Google Playstore, the iOS store and Windows. After the download is complete, users are able to type in the three official Nigerian languages, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, as well as less prominent languages such as Efik, Idoma, Tiv.
Adeniran believes that if Nailangs becomes the national keyboard for Nigeria, it will ignite an appreciation of the multiple dialects and help preserve their respective cultures.
