Deep Learning Indaba

Strengthening African Machine Learning. 🌍 #Masakhane #SautiYetu #Masirouna #Yɛbɛtumi #XamXamlé #Urunana

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Indaba 2026 Dataset Spotlight | 2

Business law in Africa has a supranational court, and until now its jurisprudence has been difficult to work with at scale.

The OHADA CCJA Corpus, submitted by Foutse Yuehgoh, Priyanka N and Patrick Nguetchouessi, is a curated collection of court decisions from the Cour Commune de Justice et d'Arbitrage, the supranational court of the Organisation pour l'Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires.

What is inside:
• 4,059 court decisions in structured form
• Coverage spanning 1997 to 2023, more than two decades of jurisprudence
• Law harmonised across 17 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo

Why it matters: legal NLP research depends on structured access to case law, and that access has been uneven across the continent. A single harmonised body of business law covering 17 countries is an unusual asset. It gives researchers a way to study legal reasoning, citation, retrieval and summarisation in an African context rather than transplanting assumptions from other jurisdictions.

Dataset: https://t.co/jqrSHtMf6P

#Indaba2026 #AfricanAI #Datasets #LegalNLP

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Indaba 2026 Dataset Spotlight | 1
Indaba 2026 has wrapped, but the work submitted to it is only getting started. Over the coming weeks we will be featuring the datasets our community brought to Lagos.

First up: the Uganda Cultural Context Benchmark (UCCB) from Crane AI Labs (@Crails_Inc), the first comprehensive question and answer dataset built to test how well large language models actually understand Uganda.

What is inside:
• 1,039 expert-validated question and answer pairs
• 24 cultural domains, from folklore and traditional medicine to music, attire, slang, history, religion and economy
• Terminology from Luganda, Runyankole, Acholi, Ateso and Lugbara embedded in English-language questions
• Validation by 10 Ugandan annotators drawn from all four major regions

Why it matters: UCCB has been integrated into the UK AI Safety Institute's Inspect AI framework, making it the first African cultural benchmark inside a sovereign government's AI evaluation infrastructure. Evaluated across five frontier models, scores spread 2.94 points on a 5-point scale. Cultural knowledge is not evenly distributed across model families, and now there is a way to measure that gap instead of guessing at it.

Dataset: https://t.co/br2ij3Bmcd
Code: https://t.co/tiihqx0n3j
Inspect AI integration: https://t.co/0agMbIeM11
#DeepLearningIndaba #Indaba2026 #AfricanAI #Datasets

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

As the energy of #DLI2026 settles, we want to thank the sponsors and partners who made it possible. 🙏

Your support went far beyond the financial. It was hands-on.
At the Indaba, you empowered the African AI community by:

🎤 Hosting keynotes and workshops
��� Leading career development sessions
💡 Running tutorials and practical labs
🏆 Celebrating and rewarding emerging talent

You showed up, sat in the room, and worked alongside the people you came to support. That is what turned a week in Lagos into something the community will carry forward, and it is exactly what #ÌmọWa, Our Knowledge, is meant to mean.

Thank you for building this with us. We look forward to what we do next, together.

#DLI2026 #ÌmọWa

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Today we want to shine a light on one part of the #DLI2026 sponsor community. Our local sponsors.

As #DLI2026 draws to a close at Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), we want to name the local partners and sponsors who backed this gathering on the ground in Lagos. Some are institutions that opened their doors. Some are companies building African AI every day. Some are funds betting early on people others have not noticed yet.

All of them chose to invest in a community rather than a campaign.

Thank you to @dsn_ai_network, @tongstoncompany, @pau_nigeria, @LBSNigeria, Udu Technologies (UduTech), @Sterling_Bankng, @_mdoc , @vp_fund, Askya Investment Partners, @awarritech, @Sagaru_AI, @equalyz_ai, @eTihuku, @curnance, @CassavaTech, @ParasolAfrica24, African Entelligence Lab, @black_in_ai and @AgencyFund .

To everyone who has been in the room this week, thank you for making it what it was.

#DLI2026 #Indaba2026 #ÌmọWa #sovereignintelligence

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

The #DLI2026 cultural dinner was everything. 🌍✨

One community, many cultures, coming together to celebrate the continent that powers this movement. From the music to the colours to the showcases from across Africa and beyond, this was a night to remember.

Because the Indaba is not just about building AI on our own terms. It is about celebrating who we are while we do it. 🌳

Ìmọ̀ Wa: our knowledge, our intelligence, our culture.

#DeepLearningIndaba #SovereignIntelligence #ÌmọWa #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

This is what sovereign intelligence looks like.

The #DLI2026 poster session is alive with it, researchers standing beside their work, mid-idea, mid-breakthrough, ready for the next question. Every poster is someone's months of work, someone's late nights, someone's conviction that Africa will not just use AI, but own it, shape it, and build it on its own terms.

That is what Ìmọ̀ Wa, our knowledge, our intelligence, is all about. And here in Lagos, that future is not a slogan. It is standing right in front of you, ready to explain its methodology.

This is what building looks like. This is what belonging looks like. This is the Indaba.
To everyone who presented, who asked, who listened, who showed up: you are sovereign intelligence in motion, and you are the reason this community keeps growing. 🌳

#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #SovereignIntelligence #ÌmọWa #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Rethinking AI Benchmarks for African Languages 🗣️📚

This morning, Prof. @vukosi (Chair of @DSFSI_Research at @UPTuks ) delivered an illuminating keynote on "What Do Our Benchmarks Actually Measure? Evaluation Challenges for African Language AI."

Prof. Marivate addressed the critical gap between language model advances and evaluation methods—arguing that standard global benchmarks fail to capture the sociotechnical realities, rich dialects, and oral structures of Indigenous languages.

Following the keynote, our Research in Africa Days showcased Spotlight Talks and Poster Sessions featuring over 200 research presentations across 4 categories: IndabaX chapters, publication Spotlight papers, general AI research, and African datasets!

#DeepLearningIndaba #DLI2026 #AfricanNLP #ResearchInAfrica #DataSovereignty #AIResearch

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one takes on a hard but urgent theme: Reflecting on Online Polarisation and Weaponisation of Social Media in Africa: The Prospect of AI for Peacebuilding.

Social media can connect communities, but it can also divide and inflame them. This workshop reflects on online polarisation and the weaponisation of social platforms across Africa, and asks how AI might be turned instead toward peacebuilding.

The session brings together a committed team:
Seid Muhie Yimam, Technical Lead, University of Hamburg; Bahir Dar University; EthioNLP
Usman Naseem, Assistant Professor, Macquarie University
Shamsuddeen Hassan Muhammad, Google DeepMind Fellow, Imperial College London
Adem Chanie Ali, Associate Professor, Bahir Dar University & University of Hamburg
Dr. Abinew Ali Ayele, Research Scientist, ICT4D Research Center, Bahir Dar University
Tadesse Destaw Belay, PhD student, National Polytechnic Institute

Learn more: https://t.co/MjANSyvw7m

#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #AIforPeace #SocialMedia #AIinAfrica

[David Ifeoluwa Adelani 🇳🇬 @davlanade]

It's great honour to present a couple of projects and my journey on building regional LMs for African languages. Thank you @DeepIndaba.

You can find the slides on my website https://t.co/zXl9W3Uqm6

Happy to answer further questions via email or at Mila booth today (Aug 4)

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Faculty Panel Discussion Spotlight | #DLI2026
Next up in our spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, and this time it is a panel!

Faculty Panel Discussion: Academia-Industry linkage on the continent, moderated by Frank Dignum and Anthony Ndolo.

The gap between the lab and the market is where a lot of good ideas get lost. This panel brings together senior academic voices to discuss how universities and industry across Africa can work together more effectively, turning research into real-world impact.

On the panel:
Dr. Chinalu Ujah-Ogbuagu, Senior Research Fellow at National Defence College, Nigeria
Prof. Nelson Ijumba, International Research and Innovation Programme Manager at Coventry University - Africa Hub
Prof. Stephen Gbenga Fashoto, Associate Professor, Data Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology
Prof. Narjès BELLAMINE BEN SAOUD, Professor, École Nationale des Sciences de l'Informatique, Tunisia
Dr. Ife Adebara, CIFAR AI CHAIR and Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, Canada

Bridging the lab and the market, live in Lagos.

#DeepLearningIndaba #AfricanAI #SovereignIntelligence #ÌmọWa

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one maps AI onto the land itself: GeoAI for a Climate-Resilient Africa.

Geospatial data holds powerful clues for tackling climate change. This workshop explores how GeoAI can support a more climate-resilient Africa, from mapping and monitoring to prediction and planning, turning satellite views into real-world action.

The session brings together an expert team:
Jonathan Shock, Associate Professor, University of Cape Town
Rendani Mbuvha, Associate Professor, University of Witwatersrand; AfriClimate AI
Gilles Hacheme, Research Engineer, Microsoft (AI for Good)
Shruti Nath, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oxford University; AfriClimate AI
Girmaw Abebe Tadesse, Research Scientist, Microsoft (AI for Good)
Steffen Knoblauch, Habilitation Fellow, Research Scientist, Heidelberg University, AIMS

From satellite to solution, and it lands in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #GeoAI #ClimateResilience #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one is hands-on and community-driven: Data, Culture, and Community: An Interactive Exhibition of the AfricaNLP Playbook and Annotation Tool.

Language technology for Africa is built by communities, not just models. This interactive exhibition showcases the AfricaNLP Playbook and its annotation tool, and celebrates the data, culture and collaboration that make African NLP possible.

The session brings together a dedicated team:
Seid Muhie Yimam, Technical Lead, University of Hamburg; Bahir Dar University; EthioNLP
Aziza Umer Yibre, PhD Student, Bahir Dar University
Shamsuddeen Hassan Muhammad, Google DeepMind Fellow, Imperial College London
Sukairaj Hafiz Imam, PhD Student, Northwest University Kano
Idris Abdulmumin, Research Associate, University of Pretoria
Tadesse Destaw Belay, PhD student, National Polytechnic Institute

Built by community, for community. See you in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #AfricaNLP #NLP #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one brings AI into the physical world: 4th Workshop on Robotics and Automation in Africa.

Robotics is where intelligence meets action. This workshop explores the state of robotics and automation across the continent, from research to real deployment, and what it will take to grow a thriving robotics ecosystem in Africa.

The session brings together a hands-on team:
Dayo McIntosh, Yateou Inc.
Ndivhuwo Makondo, IBM Research
Jenalea Rajab, DEI Projects
Sicelukwanda Zwane, Kinisi Robotics
Elisha Komolafe, AIMS South Africa; University of Cape Town

Where intelligence meets action, and Lagos is the stage.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #Robotics #Automation #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one invites the community to look inward: An Introspective Look at the African AI Landscape.

Progress is worth celebrating, but honest reflection is what drives it forward. This workshop takes a candid look at where African AI stands today, its strengths, its gaps and the questions the community needs to keep asking itself.

The session brings together a thoughtful team:
Chinasa T. Okolo, Policy Lead, Black in AI
Ayantola Alayande, Researcher, Global Center on AI Governance
Chris Emezue, Founder and Lead, Lanfrica
Hellina Hailu Nigatu, Postdoc, AIAL
Joy Olusanya, Linguist and NLP Researcher, Center for Low-Resource Languages and Cultures (CLRLC)

A moment to reflect before we gather in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #AfricanAI #AILandscape #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one bridges brains and machines: The NeuroAI Workshop.

What can neuroscience teach us about building better AI, and what can AI teach us about the brain? This workshop sits at the meeting point of the two fields, exploring how insights from biological intelligence can shape the artificial kind.

The session brings together a fascinating team:
Jonathan Shock, Associate Professor, University of Cape Town
AZA Allsop, Associate Professor, Yale School of Medicine
Devon Jarvis, Associate Lecturer, University of Witwatersrand
Abdel Mfougouon Njupoun, PhD Candidate, University of Montreal, Mila Quebec AI Institute
Emmanuel Olateju, MSc Student, AIMS South Africa & University of Cape Town
Lisa Schmors, Postdoc, University of Tübingen

Where neuroscience meets AI, and it all converges in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #NeuroAI #Neuroscience #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one pushes past the usual measuring stick: Beyond Benchmarks: Scaling Multi-Turn Participatory AI Evaluations.

Benchmarks only tell part of the story. This workshop explores participatory, multi-turn approaches to evaluating AI, bringing real people into the loop to assess systems in ways that reflect how they are actually used.

The session brings together a collaborative team:
Yann Le Beux, Co-Founder, YUX Design and Kitala AI
Oluchi Audu, Senior Design Researcher, YUX Design and Kitala AI
Ertony Bashil, Machine Learning Engineer, YUX Design and Kitala AI
Oche Ankeli, Machine Learning Engineer, YUX Design and Kitala AI
Mercy Muchai, Research Engineer, Microsoft Research
Millicent Ochieng, Research Scientist, Microsoft Research

People in the loop, insight beyond the benchmark. See you in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #AIEvaluation #ParticipatoryAI #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one is about turning ideas into real-world change: From Prototype to Impact: Scaling Responsible Climate AI from Africa.

Plenty of climate AI never makes it past the demo stage. This workshop focuses on what it takes to scale responsibly, moving from prototype to genuine impact, with climate solutions built in Africa for African realities.

The session brings together a committed team:
Leonida Mutuku, Director of the Research and Innovation For Climate Hub
Cecilia Mulu, Data Scientist, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI)
John Bagiliko, Research Associate
Revathi Kollegala, Advisor, Landscape Alliance

Turning prototypes into impact, all the way to Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #ClimateAI #ResponsibleAI #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one sits right at the intersection of AI and public good: AI on Digital Public Infrastructure: Building Inclusive and Impact-Driven Public Intelligence Systems in Emerging Economies.

Digital public infrastructure is quietly reshaping how services reach millions. This workshop explores how AI can be layered onto that infrastructure to build public intelligence systems that are inclusive, impactful and fit for emerging economies.

The session brings together a powerhouse team:
Olubayo Adekanmbi, CEO & Founder, Data Science Nigeria
Dr. Ife Adebara, Co-Founder, EqualyzAI
Raymond Onuoha, Operations Manager/PMO Lead, Nigeria AI Scaling Hub (NAISH)
Uche Edwin, Product Lead, Data Science Nigeria
Olubunmi Okunowo, Senior Program Officer, Digital Public Infrastructure, Gates Foundation

AI in service of the public, and it starts in Lagos.
#DLI2026 #DeepLearningIndaba #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #AIforGood #AIinAfrica

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Workshop Spotlight Series | #DLI2026
Next up in our workshop spotlight series for the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria!

This one asks the question every builder should sit with: How Do We Know AI Works? Lessons from Real Evaluations.

It is easy to claim a model works. Proving it in the real world is much harder. This workshop draws on hands-on evaluation experience to show what rigorous, real-world assessment of AI actually looks like, and what we learn when we hold systems to account.

The session brings together an experienced team:
Agnes Kiragga, Research Scientist, APHRC
Edmund Korley, Software Engineer, The Agency Fund
Stever Bicko Cygu, Associate Research Scientist, APHRC
Christine Ger, Communications Officer, APHRC
Miranda Barasa, Project Manager, APHRC

Proof over promises, and it all comes together in Lagos.
#DeepLearningIndaba #AfricanAI #SovereignIntelligence #ÌmọWa

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Day 3 was ELECTRIC! ⚡🌍🇳🇬

The energy, the ideas, the breakthroughs, all in one place. From packed sessions to the hallway conversations that spark the next big thing, #DLI2026 keeps showing the world what African brilliance looks like when it gathers under one roof.

Press play and feel the momentum. 🎥🔥

To every researcher, mentor, and builder who showed up and showed out today, thank you for making it unforgettable. And we are not done yet.

#DeepLearningIndaba #AfricanAI #SovereignIntelligence #ÌmọWa