A Nigerian computer scientist at the University of Ibadan (UI), Dr Ronke Sakpere, has developed a mobile application, KoEDE, to enhance Yoruba language learning among children through gamified digital tools.
Speaking in Ibadan on Tuesday, Sakpere said the innovation was driven by concerns over declining fluency in indigenous languages among Nigerian children, particularly in urban centres where English dominates communication at home and in schools.
Nigeria has more than 500 indigenous languages, but experts warn that intergenerational transmission is weakening, with many children struggling to speak their mother tongues fluently. Although the national education policy recommends mother-tongue instruction in the early years, implementation has remained inconsistent across many schools.
Sakpere said KoEDE was conceived in 2022 during her participation in the Empowering the Teacher (ETT) Fellowship Programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States.
“I enrolled in a technology design course at the MIT Media Lab, which required us to develop a project. After reflection, I realised many children back home do not speak their native languages fluently.
“I conducted a quick pilot study, and the findings affirmed this concern. That was when I decided to design a technology intervention to help African children learn their native languages,” she said.
According to her, the application applies gamification principles and constructivist pedagogy to make learning engaging and enjoyable.
“The app features puzzles, sentence formation and touch-and-drag interactive exercises structured across beginner, intermediate and expert levels,” the don said.
She added that the final phase of development was carried out in collaboration with the Yoruba Centre, UI, which teaches the language locally and internationally.
“The app includes a reward system where learners earn points for correct answers. It does not heavily penalise wrong answers, encouraging continued participation.
“It also allows learners to study at their own pace, supported by visual illustrations and audio to strengthen pronunciation and comprehension,” she said.
Sakpere noted that the four-year project faced funding constraints until 2024, when it secured a grant from AlumNode under the auspices of the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, a German foundation.
She described the funding as instrumental in strengthening the application and covering technical and human resource costs.
“The app has been uploaded to the Google Play Store and has undergone internal testing by more than 20 students ahead of its public launch scheduled for February 23,” she said.
Currently focused on Yoruba, Sakpere said there were plans to expand the platform to other major Nigerian languages, including Igbo and Hausa.
“In the next version, we hope to introduce synchronous learning features to allow learners interact in real time.
“We also intend to integrate relevant artificial intelligence features to personalise learning,” she said.
