Challenge Brief
NITDA and other public institutions increasingly use digital platforms such as YouTube to communicate information on technology, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, policies, training, and public-interest programmes. However, digital content is not automatically accessible to everyone.
For Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users, video content that relies primarily on spoken communication can remain difficult to understand when Nigerian Sign Language interpretation is unavailable. While captions provide useful support, they may not fully address the communication needs of users who rely on sign language.
Participants are challenged to develop an AI-powered solution that can process spoken English from selected NITDA YouTube videos, generate a transcript, convert the information into an appropriate Nigerian Sign Language representation, and display the interpretation through a 3D virtual avatar.
The proposed solution should initially operate as a Chrome browser extension for approved NITDA YouTube content. It should allow users to enable or disable the interpretation, resize and reposition the avatar, view transcripts, and provide feedback on interpretation quality.
Key Challenge Question
How can we leverage Artificial Intelligence, speech recognition, Nigerian Sign Language technology, and 3D avatar animation to make NITDA's digital video content more accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Nigerians?
Goals & Mission
Mission:
To leverage Artificial Intelligence and Nigerian Sign Language technology to bridge the digital communication gap and ensure that government digital information is accessible and inclusive for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Nigerians.
Key Goals:
Improve Digital Accessibility
Make selected NITDA digital video content more accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users.
Enable AI-Powered Sign Language Interpretation
Develop a practical AI pipeline that converts spoken English into a structured Nigerian Sign Language representation.
Provide Visual Interpretation
Use a 3D virtual avatar to present Nigerian Sign Language interpretation alongside the original video.
Create an Accessible User Experience
Enable users to control the avatar by moving, resizing, minimizing, pausing, or disabling the interpretation.
Improve Government Digital Inclusion
Demonstrate how emerging technologies can support inclusive access to public-sector information and services.
Ensure Linguistic and Community Validation
Involve Nigerian Sign Language experts and Deaf-community reviewers in dataset development, testing, and evaluation.
Measure and Improve Performance
Evaluate speech-recognition accuracy, translation adequacy, sign correctness, timing, usability, and accessibility before wider deployment.
Build a Foundation for Expansion
Establish the technical foundation for future support across additional platforms, Nigerian languages, sign-language variations, mobile applications, and wider public-sector deployments.