Day Translations

Yoruba is a top-three Nigerian language spoken by ~50 million people across Nigeria, Benin, Togo and the global African diaspora.

Yoruba Translation Services

Yoruba translation for every audience and Yoruba-speaking market.

Yoruba is one of the four most-spoken languages of West Africa, the cultural language of southwestern Nigeria, and a recognized heritage language across Brazil, Cuba and the wider African diaspora through Lucumí and Candomblé tradition. Yoruba is tonal, written in Latin script with diacritics, and requires linguists who understand both register (formal, literary, conversational) and audience. Day Translations assigns native Yoruba linguists by document type and target audience.

ISO 17100 Certified
Tonal Latin Script
Nollywood Subtitling
24/7 Available
Yoruba translation services
Live
Ethnologue, 2024
50M
Yoruba speakers worldwide
National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria
#3
Most-spoken Nigerian language
24/7 · Quote in 10 min
1-800-969-6853

Get Your Free Quote

we will reply within 15 minutes

Attach Files (optional)

Tap to attach files

Any file type · max 500 MB · no executables

Have files larger than 500 MB? Upload them at dayuploader.com and share the link with us.

Encrypted & never shared

SSL Encrypted
GDPR Compliant
HIPAA Compliant
50M
Yoruba speakers worldwide
Ethnologue, 2024
#3
Most-spoken Nigerian language
National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria
3
West African countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo
UNESCO
$477B
Nigerian GDP — Africa's largest economy
IMF, 2024
Diaspora
Heritage language in Brazil, Cuba & US
UNESCO Atlas of Languages
Our services

Complete Yoruba language services.
Six lines, one standard.

From USCIS-accepted Nigerian birth certificates to NAFDAC pharmaceutical labels and Nollywood subtitling for global streaming platforms — Day Translations matches every Yoruba project to a native linguist who preserves tonal diacritics, register and audience-appropriate vocabulary.

Certified Yoruba Translation

USCIS-accepted certified translations for Nigerian and Beninese birth certificates, marriage certificates, school transcripts (WAEC, NECO), police clearances and supporting evidence for immigration filings. Signed certificate of accuracy included.

Legal Yoruba Translation

Contracts, court filings, asylum declarations, customary law documents, land titles and corporate agreements for Nigerian, Beninese and Togolese jurisdictions. Notarized translations available for US courts and federal immigration filings.

Medical Yoruba Translation

Patient consent forms, medical records, pharmaceutical labels and patient information leaflets for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). HIPAA-compliant for US healthcare serving Yoruba diaspora patients.

Yoruba Interpretation

Consecutive, simultaneous, OPI and VRI interpreting. Court-certified interpreters for US immigration proceedings, asylum hearings, and federal litigation. Available 24/7 for medical emergencies in Houston, Atlanta, New York and London diaspora communities.

Yoruba Localization

Website, app and software localization for the Nigerian market. EdTech, fintech, mobile-money and e-commerce content reviewed in-country by native Yoruba speakers in Lagos and Ibadan. Tonal diacritics and Unicode handling guaranteed.

Nollywood Subtitling & Voiceover

Subtitling, dubbing and voiceover for Nollywood film and streaming content targeting global Yoruba audiences. Native voice talent and dialogue subtitlers who understand Yoruba proverbs, code-switching with English and Pidgin, and regional register.

Healthcare & medical

Yoruba medical translation — patient communication in Lagos and the diaspora

Yoruba-speaking patients in the US — concentrated in Houston, Atlanta, the New York metro region, Maryland and the Bay Area — represent a growing share of the West African immigrant population. Many older patients have limited English proficiency, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act mandates free qualified interpreters for all LEP patients in federally funded healthcare settings. Day Translations provides ISO-compliant Yoruba medical interpretation and patient education translation for hospitals and FQHCs serving these communities.

On the Nigerian side, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulates pharmaceutical labeling, clinical trial documentation and patient information leaflets. For trials and product registrations targeting Yoruba-speaking southwestern Nigeria, NAFDAC and ethics committees increasingly require Yoruba-language patient consent and information materials alongside English versions.

50M
Yoruba speakers across Nigeria, Benin and Togo
§1557
ACA mandates free qualified interpreters
NAFDAC
Nigerian regulator for pharmaceutical labeling
Yoruba medical translation
Healthcare
Portfolio

Documents we translate.

Across medical and legal — our specialists have already touched every type you’re likely to send.

20+ document types

Medical documents

Healthcare, pharma, clinical
10types
  • 01Patient consent forms
  • 02Medical records & EHR
  • 03Discharge instructions
  • 04NAFDAC submissions
  • 05Patient information leaflets
  • 06Sickle cell counseling materials
  • 07Maternal & child health outreach
  • 08Mental health assessments
  • 09Vaccine information statements
  • 10Clinical trial protocols
ISO 17100 · USCIS Accepted
Send a file

Legal documents

Contracts, courts, IP, immigration
10types
  • 01Asylum declarations & I-589 evidence
  • 02WAEC / NECO transcripts
  • 03Birth & marriage certificates
  • 04Nigerian National Identification documents
  • 05Customary law marriage records
  • 06USCIS immigration forms
  • 07Police clearances & affidavits
  • 08Land titles & deeds
  • 09Corporate documents
  • 10Court filings & pleadings
ISO 17100 · USCIS Accepted
Send a file
Legal & judicial

Yoruba legal translation across Nigerian and US courts

Nigeria operates under a tripartite legal system combining English common law, customary (traditional) law and — in some northern states — Islamic law. Yoruba-speaking southwestern states (Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti) blend statutory law with Yoruba customary practice on matters of marriage, land and inheritance. In US courts, Yoruba interpretation is increasingly requested for asylum proceedings, federal criminal matters and family-court disputes involving Nigerian families. Day Translations linguists are trained in both legal terminology and the cultural register required for credible-fear and asylum testimony.

Yoruba legal translation
Legal

Title VI — Civil Rights Act

Requires language access for LEP individuals in all federally funded programs. Yoruba is among the West African languages requested in US immigration courts and hospital systems serving Houston, Atlanta and the New York metro region.

Court Interpreters Act (28 U.S.C. § 1827)

Mandates qualified interpreters in federal courts. Day Translations provides Yoruba interpreters trained in EOIR asylum protocols and federal criminal procedure.

Nigerian Customary Law

Yoruba customary law governs marriage, inheritance and land disputes across southwestern Nigeria. Customary court documents often require certified Yoruba-to-English translation for US immigration and probate filings.

Nigerian Commercial Law

Nigeria is Africa's largest economy. CAC corporate filings, contracts and Lagos State court documents in English-Yoruba mixed registers require linguists with commercial legal expertise.

Global reach

Yoruba across West Africa and the Atlantic diaspora

From Lagos to Salvador da Bahia, Yoruba is spoken as a first language, a cultural heritage language, and a religious language across three continents.

Nigeria (southwestern states) flag
Nigeria (southwestern states)~47M Yoruba speakers
Benin flag
Benin~1.5M
Togo flag
Togo~500K
United States diaspora flag
United States diaspora~250K+
United Kingdom diaspora flag
United Kingdom diaspora~200K+
Brazil (Candomblé heritage) flag
Brazil (Candomblé heritage)Ritual / heritage
Cuba (Lucumí heritage) flag
Cuba (Lucumí heritage)Ritual / heritage
Canada diaspora flag
Canada diaspora~75K+
Business & localization

Nigeria: Africa's largest economy and entertainment powerhouse

Nigeria is Africa's largest economy by GDP and home to Nollywood, the world's second-largest film industry by output. The Yoruba-speaking southwest — including Lagos State, the country's commercial capital — accounts for a disproportionate share of national consumer spending, fintech adoption and digital-media consumption. Companies expanding into the Nigerian market consistently find that Yoruba marketing content outperforms English-only in southwestern markets.

Yoruba localization is more than translation. Yoruba is tonal, written with diacritics that must be preserved in every digital and print medium, and it code-switches with Nigerian English and Pidgin in ways that vary by register and audience. Day Translations works with native reviewers in Lagos and Ibadan to ensure terminology, tone marks and code-switching are appropriate to the target audience and channel.

$477B
Nigerian GDP — Africa's largest economy
#2
Nollywood is the world's #2 film industry by output
76%
African consumers prefer content in a local language (CSA)
Yoruba business
Business
Industries served

Expertise across every sector.

Film & Streaming

Nollywood subtitling, Netflix & Showmax Yoruba content, voiceover and dubbing

Legal & Immigration

USCIS filings, asylum proceedings, customary-law documents, Nigerian commercial contracts

Healthcare

Patient communication, NAFDAC submissions, diaspora interpretation, sickle cell outreach

Fintech & Mobile

Nigerian fintech UX (Flutterwave, Paystack, OPay), mobile-money, digital banking

Education

WAEC / NECO transcripts, EdTech localization, university heritage-language programs

E-commerce & Retail

Jumia, Konga and Lagos retail content; consumer marketing for southwestern Nigeria

Religion & Culture

Candomblé, Lucumí, Ifá texts; cultural heritage and academic Yoruba

Media & Broadcasting

Yoruba radio, TV and streaming content for global diaspora audiences

Our process

How we deliver ISO 17100-certified Yoruba quality

  1. Step01

    Project Analysis

    We assess content type, target audience (Lagos, Benin, US diaspora), register and tonal-diacritic handling.

  2. Step02

    Native Linguist Assignment

    We assign a native Yoruba linguist with subject-matter expertise and regional knowledge.

  3. Step03

    Translation

    Human translation only — never raw machine translation. Tonal diacritics preserved in Unicode.

  4. Step04

    Review

    A second native linguist reviews under ISO 17100. Diacritic accuracy and register verified.

  5. Step05

    Delivery & Certification

    Final delivery with certificate of accuracy, project glossary and QA report.

Client testimonials

Trusted by Nollywood studios, hospitals and immigration attorneys

4.9
Average rating across
Google, Trustpilot, BBB

We needed Yoruba subtitles for a Nollywood feature streaming on a global platform. Day Translations preserved the proverbs, the code-switching, and the cultural humor — and they delivered every tone mark correctly. The diaspora response on social media was overwhelmingly positive.

AO
Adebayo Ogundimu
Post-Production Supervisor, Lagos Studio

Day Translations handled certified Yoruba translations of customary marriage records and birth certificates for a complex asylum case. Every document was accepted by the immigration judge on first submission. Their understanding of Yoruba customary law documentation is exceptional.

PW
Patricia Williams
Immigration Attorney, Houston

Our community health center in Atlanta serves a large Yoruba-speaking Nigerian population. Day Translations provides 24/7 OPI Yoruba interpretation and translated patient education for our sickle cell and maternal health programs. The interpreters are culturally competent and professional.

DJ
Dr. James Okonkwo
Medical Director, Community Health Center
Questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Yoruba translation.

Real answers — not boilerplate. If you don’t see your question, our team responds in under 60 minutes, 24/7.

Ask a specialist

Yoruba is a tonal language with three contrasting tones — high, mid and low — marked on vowels with diacritics (á, à, ā). Missing or incorrect tone marks can change the meaning of a word entirely; ọkọ with different tones means husband, vehicle or hoe. For professional translation, every tone mark must be preserved in Unicode-correct form across digital and print media. Day Translations linguists work in Unicode-compliant tools and verify every diacritic at the review stage, and our DTP team confirms tone marks survive layout and typesetting.

Through the transatlantic slave trade, Yoruba religion and language were carried to Brazil, Cuba and other parts of the Americas, where they survive as Candomblé in Brazil and Lucumí (or Santería) in Cuba. The ritual language of these traditions preserves an older form of Yoruba alongside Portuguese or Spanish. Day Translations provides academic and cultural translation between modern Nigerian Yoruba and the Lucumí and Candomblé liturgical registers for scholars, religious organizations and heritage institutions.

USCIS requires certified English translations of all Yoruba-language documents submitted in support of immigration applications. This includes Nigerian birth certificates, marriage certificates (statutory and customary), divorce decrees, WAEC and NECO school transcripts, police clearances and supporting evidence for asylum claims. Day Translations provides USCIS-accepted certified Yoruba translations with a signed statement of accuracy, typically within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the source documents.

Yoruba has approximately 47 to 50 million speakers, the vast majority in southwestern Nigeria. Additional speakers live in Benin and Togo, and there are substantial diaspora communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil. Through Candomblé and Lucumí religious traditions, an older form of Yoruba is also a ritual and heritage language in Brazil and Cuba. UNESCO recognizes Yoruba as one of the major languages of West Africa.

Yes. Day Translations provides court-certified Yoruba interpreters for asylum hearings, credible-fear interviews, removal proceedings and immigration court appearances. We work with immigration attorneys across the United States, particularly in Houston, Atlanta, New York and Maryland — cities with substantial Nigerian populations. Our interpreters are trained in legal terminology and EOIR protocols, and they are available in person, over the phone (OPI) and by video (VRI).

Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) primarily accepts English documentation, but for clinical trials and patient-facing materials targeting Yoruba-speaking southwestern Nigeria, ethics committees increasingly require Yoruba-language patient consent and information leaflets to meet patient-comprehension standards. Day Translations works with global pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs on Yoruba clinical and regulatory documentation that meets both NAFDAC and ICH-GCP standards.

Yoruba has several major dialect clusters — Oyo, Ibadan, Egba, Ijebu, Ekiti, Ondo and others — but Standard Yoruba (based on the Oyo and Ibadan varieties) is used in print, broadcasting and education. Day Translations provides Standard Yoruba for official, medical and commercial documents. For Nollywood subtitling and cultural projects, our linguists can also work in regional dialects, code-switched Yoruba-English, and the older liturgical register used in Candomblé and Lucumí.

Significant Yoruba-speaking communities in the United States are concentrated in Houston, Atlanta, the New York / New Jersey metro region, Maryland and the Washington DC area, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Many community members are first or second-generation Nigerian immigrants, and demand for Yoruba document translation, OPI and on-site interpretation is steady across healthcare, immigration law, schools and consular services serving these populations.

Live · 24/7 Open · Project Managers Online

Ready to reach 50 million Yoruba speakers?

Get a free quote in under 60 minutes. ISO 17100 certified. Available 24/7.

4.9/5from 1,247 verified reviews
ISO 17100USCIS AcceptedHIPAA CompliantQuote in 10 min
Yoruba Translation Services — Nigeria, Benin, Diaspora | Day Translations