AFLC 2026 Press Release

Language Justice in Focus as African Languages Conference 2026 Heads to Accra, Ghana

African Languages Conference (AFLC) 2026
Language Justice: African Languages for Social and Economic Development

African Languages Conference (AFLC), a flagship event dedicated to language justice and cultural preservation, returns for its fifth edition from February 23 to 28, 2026, in Accra, Ghana and online. Organized by African Languages Conference Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, AFLC was created in 2022 to celebrate African Languages Week (ALW) and to promote and preserve African languages while advancing language and digital rights across Africa and the diaspora.

This year’s theme, “Language Justice: African Languages for Social and Economic Development,” calls attention to a critical reality: while over one billion Africans communicate primarily in Indigenous languages, these languages are still too often excluded from education, governance, economic planning, and digital innovation. AFLC 2026 brings together language activists, scholars, technologists, policymakers, translators and interpreters, educators, and community leaders to forge pathways forward.

Event Details

Date: February 23-28, 2026
Format: Hybrid (ISSER Conference Hall, Accra, Ghana)
Onsite Program: February 23-24, 2026 at ISSER Conference Hall, Legon, Accra, Ghana, with live-streaming on Zoom, and the AFLC YouTube and Facebook platforms and interpretation
Online program: February 26-28, 2026 on Zoom, with live-streaming and interpretation
Registration: Registration is FREE with an option to make a voluntary contribution

New in 2026: Free Book Exhibition in Accra

For the first time, AFLC will host a two-day free book exhibition at the ISSER Conference Hall from February 23-24, 2026 (8:00-16:30 UTC), showcasing books in and/or about African and Ghanaian languages, from children’s literature and textbooks to poetry, fiction, and research on language policy and pedagogy. Authors, publishers, educators, students, and independent writers can register here at no cost, creating a dedicated space for language justice, literacy, and cultural preservation alongside the main conference.

A Growing Multilingual Platform

Since its inaugural edition in 2022, AFLC has convened over 2,000 attendees, 130+ speakers, and sessions held in more than two dozen African languages, aligning every edition with African Languages Week (February 21-28). AFLC has been recognized as part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032 (IDIL 2022–2032) since 2022, underscoring its contribution to preserving language diversity and supporting Indigenous languages in the digital age.

In 2025, AFLC hosted 40 sessions, 60 speakers, 15 languages, 550 attendees, and 36 hours of programming in a hybrid format anchored at the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, with extensive interpretation and global online access.

“Seeing the conference come to life in person after years online was surreal,” said Avishta Seeras, AFLC Director & Co-founder. “It was exactly what we had envisioned—a space where people could share, learn, and connect through their own languages.”

Building on that momentum, AFLC 2026 received over 60 applications in multiple languages including Kiswahili and Setswana, and will again offer more than 40 sessions in nearly two dozen African languages, with around 50 hours of programming and three keynote addresses across its on-site and online programs.

The on-site program at ISSER in Accra features a joint opening by AFLC and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) – College of Languages Education, Ajumako, the UEW keynote delivered in a Ghanaian language, two panels by UEW professors and the Bureau of Ghana Languages, individual presentations in languages such as isiXhosa, Hyam, Kinyarwanda, Amharic, Dagbani, Kiswahili, and English, and a hands-on workshop on speech technology for African languages. The online program will continue these themes with additional keynotes, panels, and presentations that connect participants from across Africa and the diaspora.

Partners and Sponsors

AFLC is honored to collaborate with:

Collaborating Institution: The College of Languages Education, Ajumako at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana - partnering to deepen academic engagement with African languages in education and research.
Platinum Sponsor (returning): SILICON at Stanford University - returning as a platinum sponsor and delivering two powerful sessions, including a keynote, building on its work in language and digital inclusion for digitally disadvantaged languages.
Silver Sponsor: African Language Consultants - supporting AFLC 2026 at the silver tier and reinforcing the importance of African-led language services.
Silver Sponsor: African Translation - supporting AFLC 2026 at the silver tier with 20 years of expertise serving African communities through 42+ languages of lesser diffusion.

Why Partners and Sponsors are Needed Now

AFLC’s track record shows that when partners invest in African languages, the impact is tangible: more multilingual sessions, expanded interpretation, community‑led digitization projects, and new collaborations that extend far beyond the conference week.

By supporting AFLC 2026, sponsors and partners can:

Expand access by funding interpretation, scholarships, and digital infrastructure for online participation.
Support innovation by enabling community‑led technology projects and tools in African languages.
Amplify research and practice by giving scholars, educators, and language professionals a continental platform.
Align with IDIL 2022–2032 and demonstrate concrete contribution to global Indigenous language goals.

Partners joining AFLC 2026 position themselves at the forefront of a transformative movement where language rights, digital inclusion, and economic opportunity meet.

Registration is Open and FREE

Tickets are free with an option to make a voluntary contribution to support conference costs and interpretation to keep AFLC accessible to individuals and organizations across the continent. AFLC invites language communities, scholars, educators, technologists, policymakers, donors, and media partners to join in Accra and online and to partner as sponsors to expand multilingual access, support community-led language technology, and advance language and digital rights.

Join us at AFLC 2026 to celebrate the power of African languages in shaping fairer education systems, more inclusive technologies, and stronger economies. Together, we can help ensure that African languages remain central to public life and the digital world, now and for generations to come.