Smartphone users in Nigeria will now be spared the exotic Google Map accent, complete with its uncanny ability to humorously mangle local street names and roads. Beginning this month, commuters making their way through Nigerian roads will hear travel advice on the Google Maps app in a local voice. Move over, Oyinbo voice on Google Assistant, the Igbotic, Yoruba and Hausa accents are here!
Google is unveiling new features aimed at attracting more users in Africa—an emerging market with immense opportunities for growth in the tech space. The local accents feature was unveiled at an event in Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. The feature is also available on Google Assistant. It is the first move by the U.S. technology giant to offer such a service in Africa.
