Nigerians Launch AudioTranscription App for Indigenous Language
Rebecca Ejifoma
For easy work and delivery experience in transcribing audio or video to words, some young Nigerians have developed an indigenous digital transcription software called the Vocalscript with Nigerian accent in view.
According to the company, the innovation is bent on enhancing productivity of the media, law firms, churches, corporate entities and individuals who spend hours and days struggling to transcribe recordings – a most tedious task.
Uniquely, Vocalscript understands and transcribes even the thickest Nigerian accents to aid in local speech recognition.
One of the founders of the company, Kola Olanipekun – a barrister – said members of his team were exploiting technology to make life easier across different sectors in need of the service. “Not many are aware of this new innovation or how it functions,” he noted.
He explained further what they do is to convert what has been said into a written form within a very short time.
His words: “We have tailored the service for diverse sectors. Lawyers can have a standard record of court proceedings; students can have accurate lecture notes without missing a word; companies can have detailed minutes of meetings as well as discussions in seminars transcribed to aid productivity.”
Accordingly, Olanipekun cited statistics as showing that journalists, especially, spend about six hours weekly transcribing, which adds up to two lost business months in a year.
For him and his team members, using the traditional method to transcribe could be tedious, adding that in fact, “It is a job on its own. But most professionals including journalists do it side by side their duties”.
And with the knowledge that over 20,000 businesses in Nigeria engage in one form of transcription or the other, the co-founder decried the absence of company in the country that is fully into audio transcription.
“We are currently using machine learning to understand even the thickest Nigerian accents to aid in local speech recognition. So, the turnaround time will definitely improve,” he added.
For the seven-member team, it is optimistic that people would see the value in time. Olanipekun continued: “It has since been embraced by many countries across the world”.
Other features the app provides besides transcription are: subtitling and closedcaptioning of videos, and translation of languages.
The founders, however, assured the public that outsourcing transcripts to them provide flexibility, guarantee superior quality, timely delivery, reliability while freeing up journalists and other professionals for more other important works.
“This is the first indigenous transcription software that is developed by Nigerians and for Nigerians. It is specifically crafted having the diversity of Nigerian accents in mind,” he said. Apart from the automated plan that transcribes works in a few minutes, he said that the company also had an in-house transcription team who vets files for quality to meet the demands and requests from companies and individuals.
“Although, the services attract certain fees, the charge is as low as fifty naira per minute for the automated plan which is also known as artificial intelligence,” Olanikpekun said.
Most importantly, he assured users of confidentiality. “None of my team is at liberty to divulge information received from clients. This way, we would avert legal consequences”.
Speaking also was the company’s web developer, Alli Olasukanmi who described the Vocalscript Application as user friendly. “The site is carefully built and well protected from hackers”.
Olasunkanmi further emphasised that the company uses state-of-the-art technology to provide an easy-to-use web platform and a handy mobile application for the average Nigerian.
He added: “users can make recordings on the mobile app or upload previous recordings and have accurate transcripts delivered within minutes to hours, depending on the length of the file.”
It was celebration all the way, recently, as Caleb Group of Schools and University, held its maiden edition of musical festival and award night themed, ‘Joyful Tidings’.
The event is designed to showcase the exquisite bouquet of skilful display of musical instruments, rendition and performances from the Caleb Orchestra, Voice of Caleb and other invited schools, as well as awarding of prizes to outstanding students, staff members and parents.
The programme, held at the Caleb British International School (CBIS) Arena, Lekki, saw different gospel artist such as Tope Alabi, Spinach, Ayan Jesu, Nathaniel Bassey, Beejay Sax, Caleb orchestra, among others, performing to the excitement of parents and guests. The event also witnessed the award of noble ladies and gentlemen in the society who have lived a life of integrity and used their passion to positively affect humanity, irrespective of race, age, creed or gender.
Speaking on the significance of the event, the Director of Caleb Group of Schools, Dr. Ola Adebogun, said the musical festival and award night underscores Caleb Group of School’s commitment to Christian values, grooming of highly-educated and skilled students, and rewarding of excellent performance and behavior. “The festival is an avenue for us to exhibit the musical talents of our students and other platform for us to celebrate and praise God with friends and members of the growing Caleb family in the company of proven stars and models like Tobe Alabi, Sinach and others, “Adebogun noted.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Professor Oladele Daramola thanked God for the relative peace in the state, while praying that the state and the education system should continue to enjoy stability.