Why do we hate our languages so much by Oladele Saheed

macfranc007 December 12, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Wale Akinola

Editor’s note: Oladele Saheed, the NAIJ.com partner blogger, in his latest article, explains why Nigerians should encourage the use of indigenous languages to teach in Nigerian schools

Saheed is the coordinator of War Against the Falling Standard of English Project (WAFSEP).

He has trained many Nigerians including teachers in over 200 schools, journalists, university administrators and other public and private functionaries.

He has also got approval of the Federal Ministry of Education to use his Remedial English Pronunciation Software (REPS) in secondary schools.

Oladele could be contacted via phone call 07010053775, WhatsApp 08185662120 or eruditeclp@gmail.com

Special thanks to the National Assembly for kicking against the laudable language policy of the Nigerian army which requires all soldiers to learn Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. They claim it fractionalises and marginalises; I believe it unites and empowers.

Nigerians are the reasons Nigeria is not developing. I am really bothered about our situation. It's unfortunate that some people have been frustrating efforts geared towards promoting indigenous languages since independence. All in the name of fake unity and personal interest!

Our secondary school students are failing WASSCE and other exams. Our graduates, after 16 years of education in English, are failing IELTS and the English tests organised by our own universities. Our teachers are failing primary school level tests. Our primary 1 pupils are cheating in exams. Yet we have not got the message to stop functioning in a foreign language!

China is teaching all subjects in Chinese from primary to university level. India is a multilingual nation like Nigeria but it has not found it difficult to give Hindi its national official language recognition alongside English.

Indian states where other languages are prominent are given the freedom to choose their official languages. I am wondering if India is disunited or not progressing. I am also wondering if any of the world leading economies like Germany, Russia and Japan among others is functioning in a foreign language.

One of the fundamental principles of linguistics is that all languages are equal. There is absolutely nothing good English is currently doing to our education that Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv, Jukun, Edo, Birom, Angas, Gwari, Nupe, Ijo, Ikwere, Ibibio, Efik, Ebira, Kanuri, Isoko, Urhobo, Ishekiri and Fulfulde etc cannot do better. It is just a matter of proper language planning, documentation, standardisation, modernisation, implementation and evaluation.

Nelson Mandela says: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. But if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."

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I thank the National Assembly again for waking me up to my responsibilities as a Nigerian linguist. The time to commit more energy and resources to the preservation, development and promotion of African languages is now. Let's do it together.

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Share till it gets to the National Assembly and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that Oladele explained five reasons Nigerians should commend army on new language policy.

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