Microsoft Nigeria yesterday in Abuja, launched the language interface pack for Windows Vista in three major Nigerian languages, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.

President Umaru Yar’Adua, represented on the occasion by Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Alhassan Zaku, described the development as a milestone in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) He said indeed it is a turning point in the history of technology in our beloved country. Courtesy of Microsoft, Windows Vista, an operating system of Microsoft has been localised in Nigerian languages.”

Dr Alhassan Zaku explain, the initiative as a long-awaited vehicle to take benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the grassroots in every nook and cranny of the country. “We believe that this will make IT solutions more accessible to the Nigerian local communities. It also represents a breakthrough in Nigerian linguistic and literary studies. By this innovation, most users would have the opportunity to customise leading Microsoft software applications with the local language capabilities.” He then urged Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the development of Window Vista in Nigeria Language to preserve and promote there mother languages while benefiting from IT advancement.
The General Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr Emmanuel Onyeje,  said the launch was part of Microsoft Local Language Programmes (LLP) for Nigeria,  according to him, LLP strives to provide people of all regions, communities and languages with access to IT in a familiar language.

Moreover News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Language interface pack for Windows Vista in the three Nigeria languages was developed by Nigerians locally.