Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of
Information and Culture, has advocated the digitalization of indigenous
languages in order to avoid them going into extinction. Alhaji Mohammed made
this remark while speaking in Kaduna at the 2017 edition of the Annual Round
Table on Cultural Orientation (ARTCO), organised by National Institute for
Cultural Orientation (NICO), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture, adding that languages should go digital on various
Internet platforms where youths and children are familiar with, so that they
could begin to pick up their mother tongue from such electronic devices. The
minister commended the NICO for its work in the promotion of Nigerian languages
over the years, and assured that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration
was committed to according Nigeria culture its pride of place in the
developmental agenda of the country. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure
that our cherished cultural legacies and values are transmitted from one
generation to another. “The importance of indigenous language to national
development cannot be over-emphasized. Language is the soul of culture; it is
an indispensable tool for the promotion and preservation of culture. We cannot
be genuinely committed to the promotion of our culture without addressing the
serious issue of language endangerment and extinction. “There is no gainsaying the
fact that our indigenous languages are endangered and if urgent steps are not
taken, they will go into extinction in no distant future. “Situation reports
show that there is a remarkable decline in the usage of our indigenous
languages by our children and youths; many of them cannot read or write in
their mother tongue. “This is not surprising because, according to Nigerian
writer Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezigbo, indigenous languages have been labelled as
“vernacular’’ or “garbage’’ and as such, most African children in primary and
secondary schools are even punished for speaking their mother tongues. That
should never be the case. “It has been my desire since I assumed duties as
Honourable Minister to convene a strategic stakeholders’ meeting to underscore the
relevance of the indigenous language newspapers and to engineer a road map for
their sustenance in the face of formidable challenges. This explains why one of
my first assignments in office was to visit identifiable indigenous newspapers
like Alaroye, Iroyin Owuro, Rariya, Aminiya and Leadership Hausa. “The visits
convinced me, more than ever, that indigenous language newspapers have a vital
role to play in reviving the fortunes of our endangered languages, if their
potentials are maximized. “The way forward is to fashion out strategies to
address the problem. We must take urgent steps to encourage parents to ensure
that their children are taught our indigenous languages. The teaching and
learning of Nigerian indigenous languages as contained in the National Policy
in Education must be fully implemented. Various platforms, such as the
indigenous language newspapers, which promote the use of indigenous languages,
should be supported and sustained. “Beyond encouraging the teaching of
indigenous languages to young people, a critical catalyst remains the
engagement of young people via platforms popular with them. I am talking about,
for example, translating our incredible treasure trove of literature, brimming
with exciting classics such as The Lion and the Jewel, The Passport of Mallam
Illia and Things fall apart not only into indigenous languages but also by
adapting those classics into comics, graphic novels, TV shows as well as
animated and live action feature films. “These remain extremely popular media,
especially among those aged below 30 years and who form a massive 70% of the
population, where the storytelling is primed to excite, engage and enlighten.
Indeed, not only will this optimize access to the wondrous worlds and richly
realized characters teeming in these works, the exercise stands to reintroduce
the younger generation to the rich and remarkable mosaic that is Nigerian
culture, instill and inspire in them a strong bond with said culture as well as
facilitate a greater understanding of their cultural identity and place in the
world. “The role of the electronic media in disseminating, aggregating and
curating our indigenous languages cannot be overemphasized. There is serious
potential in the plethora of programmes on radio, television and on the web to
spread the comprehension, appreciation and adoption of indigenous languages.
“Still on the theme of electronically engaging the youth, it is imperative to
deploy digital tools in ensuring the survival of our indigenous languages.
Today, social media, YouTube, texting and specially developed applications for
use on mobile devices are being used to attract young people to learning
‘endangered languages’. “There are also websites and online forums where people
can interact and optimize their knowledge of those languages. Those solutions
are worth exploring seriously. An aggressive, digital approach to the
challenges of preserving our indigenous languages for posterity will definitely
yield great dividends especially among the youth” the minister said.
Read more at: www.dailytimes.ng
Read more at: www.dailytimes.ng
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