The Ethnic Voices Project, hosted by Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), has won the Best Use Case Award at the AI for Good Global Summit 2026, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the AI for Good Innovate for Impact initiative. The project was recognized under Track 7, Open Source AI for Global Impact.
The project develops speech datasets, language resources, and digital tools for underrepresented African languages, advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) while preserving Africa's linguistic heritage.
The project was showcased at the AI for Good Global Summit, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7–10 July 2026. Although the project representative could not attend, it still received the Best Use Case Award, highlighting its global impact and innovation.
Receiving the award, Principal Investigator Dr. Joseph Telemala said the recognition is a major milestone for the project, SUA and Tanzania, demonstrating how African led research can contribute practical solutions to the global AI ecosystem.
Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Onesmo Nyinondi said the award highlights the need to invest in African language technologies so that more of Africa's 2,000+ languages can be represented in future AI systems.
The award reflects the dedication of the project team and partners while strengthening SUA's reputation in research, innovation and digital transformation and showcasing Tanzania's growing contribution to global AI.
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