Bluechip Technologies acquires YarnGPT, Nigerian text-to-speech AI built for local languages
Bluechip Technologies Limited has acquired YarnGPT, a Nigerian-built text-to-speech AI model capable of translating English and other foreign languages into Nigerian accents and at least four indigenous languages, including Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.
Bluechip Technologies Limited has acquired YarnGPT, a Nigerian-built text-to-speech AI model capable of translating English and other foreign languages into Nigerian accents and at least four indigenous languages, including Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.
The acquisition was announced by Bluechip Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Kazeem Tewogbade on the main stage of the Bluechip Data and AI Summit 2026, held at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos under the theme “The Future, Now: AI-Driven Transformation for Africa.”
YarnGPT was created by Saheed Azeez, a University of Lagos alumnus who placed first runner-up at the Bluechip Data and AI Hackathon in 2023, making the deal a rare instance in Nigeria’s AI ecosystem of a hackathon project progressing directly to acquisition by an established technology company.
Tewogbade said the acquisition fits into Bluechip’s broader strategy of expanding its product ecosystem through both internal development and targeted acquisitions.
Following the groundbreaking announcement, YarnGPT creator, Saheed Azeez, was brought up on stage to meet the co-founders and pose for photographs, and for a chance for the audience to have a glimpse of him.
Apart from YarnGPT, Tewogbade also announced other new Bluechip products at the event. These products include the Bluechip Data Platform, Cribro, BluPrime, and CashComplete.
Tewogbade explained that Bluechip Technologies will continue to build and acquire products that serve its customers.
Beyond its commercial value, the acquisition is being viewed as a milestone for Africa’s emerging AI ecosystem. Industry leaders at the summit said the acquisition serves as strong validation of the innovation coming out of the continent and highlights the growing global relevance of African AI startups.
Delivering the summit’s keynote address, Rosanne Werner, Founder and CEO of XCelerate IQ, highlighted the scale of the commercial opportunity AI represents for the continent.
Werner cautioned that organisations must prioritise practicality over hype when adopting AI.
The summit brought together technology executives, innovators, and policymakers, including Kola Aina, Founding Partner at Ventures Platform Fund; Victoria Ajayi, Group Managing Director and CEO of TVC Communications; Fola Olatunji-David, Founding Partner at Kickoff Africa; and Jonathan Woolf, Chief Revenue Officer at Intent HQ.
Industry leaders in attendance agreed that AI conversations in Africa have moved well beyond simple chatbot interactions toward enterprise-wide deployments, localised language models, and strategic technology acquisitions, with the continent increasingly positioning itself as a builder of AI-driven solutions rather than merely a consumer of global technologies.
In an interview with Nairametrics on the sideline of the summit, Bluechip Technologies CEO, Tewogbade, said that the prospect of unintended and potentially destructive outcomes from artificial intelligence remains a big concern about the technology’s rapid advancement.
He explained that while AI continues to unlock unprecedented opportunities for businesses and economies, the long-term risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems are still not fully understood.
According to him, the speed at which AI is evolving makes it difficult to accurately predict its future capabilities, potential misuse, or the broader consequences that could emerge as the technology becomes more deeply integrated across sectors.
His comments come amid intensifying global discussions around AI safety, governance, and regulation, as policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders grapple with the potential impact of advanced AI on jobs, economic stability, cybersecurity, and society at large.
