Hear any printed page. In your language.
Magana is a free app that reads printed pages aloud for blind and low-vision Nigerians: schoolwork, medicine labels, bank statements and letters, in English, Hausa, Yorùbá and Igbo.
- iPhone app coming soon. Until then, iPhone users can open Magana in Safari and add it to the home screen.
- WhatsApp coming soon. Send a photo, hear it read. No app needed.
How it works
Step 1: Point your phone
Hold your phone over the page. Magana tells you “higher”, “left” or “hold still” until the whole page is in view, then takes the photo itself.
Step 2: Listen
Magana reads every line aloud, in order, tables row by row. Repeat a line, skip ahead or jump to a heading with one tap or one word.
Step 3: Learn and get help
Hear schoolwork explained in your language, practise with a voice quiz, or ask a nurse to call you back about a medicine or result.
Hear a sample
Three pages the Magana team made, and exactly what Magana read from each. On the medicine label, one number is smudged: Magana says “unclear number” instead of guessing. “Listen” uses your browser’s own voice.
Medicine label
- PARACETAMOL 500 mg TABLETS
- Take 1 to 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours
- Do not take more than [unclear number] in 24 hoursI can't read a number on line 3 clearly. Please check it or retake the photo.
- Keep out of the reach of children
- Expiry 08/2027 Batch PCM2291
School question
- JSS 2 Mathematics: Multiplication
- A farmer plants 24 rows of maize.
- Each row has 15 plants.
- How many plants are there altogether?
Bank statement
- SAMPLE BANK PLC Account statement
- Opening balance 01/10/2026 NGN 0.00
- 03/10/2026 Transfer from A. Bello NGN 15,000.00
- 05/10/2026 POS purchase NGN -2,350.00
- Closing balance 31/10/2026 NGN 12,650.00
One reading engine. Three parts of life.
Learn.
At school and at home
- Textbooks, notes and past questions read aloud
- Explanations in Hausa, Yorùbá, Igbo or English
- Voice quizzes from Primary 1 to SS3
Live.
Everyday papers, for adults
- Medicine labels and medical reports
- Bank statements and bills
- Letters and forms, and medicine reminders
Lead.
Skills and confidence
- Lessons on phone skills and getting around
- Magana Champions: blind mentors helping others
- An Independence Score to track progress
Built to be trusted with what matters
Health and money papers carry real risk, so Magana follows strict rules.
- Numbers are read exactly as printed. Doses, amounts and dates are never guessed, rounded or explained away.
- If Magana isn’t sure, it says so. An unclear number is read as “unclear number”, with advice to check it.
- No diagnosis, no financial advice. For health questions, a nurse or pharmacist calls you back. Danger signs: go to a clinic or call 112.
- Your photos aren’t kept. Pages are read and then deleted. Magana never asks for a PIN or password.
- Safe for children. Under-18s use Magana with a teacher or guardian, only for schoolwork.
- Checked by health professionals. Health rules are reviewed by a clinical pharmacist and a registered nurse.
Your name in Braille
The dots in Magana’s logo are the Braille letter m. Type your name to see it in Braille, the way the logo spells ⠍⠁⠛⠁⠝⠁.
For teachers and schools
- Upload class notes and tests: learners get audio, Braille-ready files and large print.
- Write voice quizzes for your class in minutes.
- Take attendance and see each learner’s progress.
- Guardian consent is built in for every learner under 18.
Free for learners. We’re looking for schools in Lagos and beyond to join our pilot from February 2027.
Open the teacher portalAsk about the pilot: maganasupport@gmail.comMade in Nigeria, with the people it serves
Want to test Magana, review a language, or help a learner? We’d love to hear from you at maganasupport@gmail.com.
- Jemiri Daniel TaiwoAI/ML engineer, builds Magana
- Dr. Oluba AmosClinical pharmacist, safety review
- Oluremi O. BalogunRegistered nurse, user research and safeguarding
Magana is being designed and tested with blind and low-vision Nigerians. It is our entry in the Nigeria AI Collective and Data Science Nigeria “AI for Visual Impairment” hackathon. Nigerian-language explanations use N-ATLaS. N-ATLaS is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and powered by Awarri Technologies.