Nigeria: The world's first robotic hairdresser is born thanks to the ingenuity of a Nigerian engineer

The sons and daughters of Africa demonstrate daily that the continent is brimming with talent capable of reinventing the world. This week, the spotlight is on Nika Ogumbiyi and David Afolabi, two Nigerian engineers.

These young Harvard graduates have developed an intelligent robot called AlloBraid, capable of braiding hair up to five times faster than a completely manual job.

Attached to the salon chair, AlloBraid intervenes after the hairdresser has begun the braid by hand. The robot then takes over to braid the lengths and ends at a higher speed.

This assistance helps to reduce repetitive movements, limit the physical fatigue of hairdressers and increase the number of clients seen, with higher revenue potential.

Barely unveiled, this technological innovation is already attracting investors. The startup has just raised $7 million to finance the commercialization of its invention, which is scheduled for launch in September 2026.

More than 7.000 salons have already expressed interest in acquiring the world's first robotic hairdresser.

Cheick Omar Ouedraogo