NKENNE at 3: From a Dream to Africa’s Language Revolution
By: Chimdindu Ken-Anaukwu
Three years ago, NKENNE set out to do something the world thought impossible: to make Africa fall in love with her own voice again. We didn’t start with millions of dollars or global backing; we started with conviction. A belief that our languages, the very vessels of our identity, deserved to live, breathe, and thrive in the digital age. Today, NKENNE isn’t just an app; it’s a cultural revolution. From Lagos to Nairobi, Accra to Addis Ababa, and from the diaspora back home, Africa is speaking again, proudly, loudly, and in her own tongue.
Three Years of Voice and Vision
Three years ago, NKENNE was just an idea, a dream to give Africa’s languages the digital spotlight they deserve. Today, that dream has grown into a movement. From our humble beginnings, NKENNE has become Africa’s leading platform for learning, loving, and living our mother tongues.
We didn’t just build an app; we built a bridge connecting Africans at home and abroad through language, culture, and pride.
Building the TRiiBE; A Family of 150,000+ Learners
When we say TRiiBE, we mean it. Over 150,000 learners have joined this movement: students chasing fluency, professionals reclaiming identity, creators rediscovering voice, and dreamers bridging continents.
From every corner of Africa and beyond, they prove that language isn’t just words; it’s belonging.
They learn and laugh together, share proverbs that sound like home, and tell stories that carry the heartbeat of generations.
What began as an app is now a living community where Yoruba meets Zulu, Twi greets Somali, and Amharic dances with Wolof.
It’s vibrant, proud, and unstoppable, united by one truth: Africa will never lose her voice again.
15 Languages, One Continent
From Yoruba to Swahili, Igbo to Shona, Zulu to Wolof; NKENNE now teaches 15 African languages. Every lesson, every pronunciation, every proverb we teach carries the soul of a people and the rhythm of a continent.
Each language represents a heartbeat. Together, they tell the story of Africa; loud, diverse, and beautiful.
The Challenges That Forged Our Strength
We’ve had our share of roadblocks, from funding hurdles to technical growing pains. But through every challenge, one thing kept us going: our mission. The belief that if we don’t preserve our languages, we risk losing our soul.
Every new learner is proof that Africa is rising through its own words.
The Vision Ahead: Africa Speaks Again
We’re not slowing down. NKENNE’s next chapter is about expansion, innovation, and deeper cultural immersion. Expect more languages, more features, more podcasts, more TRiiBE experiences, all built to make African language learning fun, authentic, and alive.
Our goal?
To make sure every African can say, “I know where I come from.”
Thank You, TRiiBE
To everyone who believed in us, thank you.
To every learner who downloaded NKENNE, every teacher who shared knowledge, and every supporter who spread the word: you are NKENNE.
Here’s to more milestones, more laughter, more unity, and a continent that will never be silent again.
Protect the land. Preserve the language. Pass both on.
💛 Michael Odokara-Okigbo