A Professor of Linguistics and Communication in the University of Calabar (UniCal), Offiong Ani Offiong, has charged the federal government to deliberately initiate policies and work towards the sustenance and promotion of Nigerian languages to avoid extinction.
Speaking while delivering the 100 inaugural lecture of the university which had the topic: ‘For the Love of Your Language; What is this Word Called in Your Language?’ Offiong lamented that many Nigerian languages were already going into extinction due to English language dominance.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria should directly initiate a clearly articulated, coherent and comprehensive national language policy and its implementation strategy so that every language in Nigeria can be accommodated in the plan of things.
“The over 555 languages spoken in Nigeria require and deserve harnessing and efficient management in the same way other kind of resources are managed. Such a management should be done only through a direct government policy that should be entrenched in the constitution,” he said.
Prof Offiong further stated that some indigenous languages in Nigeria were currently dying at an accelerated rate due to globalisation, imperialism and neocolonialism, but added that to stop language death, speakers of such language should love it by giving it priority attention through constantly communicating in it.
“To ensure that our languages do not die, we must love our languages deeply. If no conscious effort is made to ensure we look inwards, the tendency is, language extinction.”
The lecturer stated that two languages, efut and kiong languages in Cross River had gone extinct with the owners now speaking Efik language.
He said lack of education amongst speakers of a particular language encourages shift and eventual extinction.
The inaugural lecturer noted that even the elites of a particular ethnic group look down on their own language thinking that other languages are more superior. He therefore called on Nigerians to ensure that their language is a priority when communicating with their kinsmen.
Maintaining that language is at risk of being lost when it is no longer taught to the younger generations while fluent speakers of the language are still alive, he encouraged Nigerians to consciously speak their native language to their children as a way of developing and promoting it.
He also called for documentation of native languages, saying that, when languages are documented, it will be difficult for extinction to take place.
In her remarks, the vice chancellor of the institution, Professor Florence Obi, called on the various ethnic nationalities in the country to redouble their efforts towards the development of their languages.
“Our language and culture defines us as a people, it is our identity,” Obi said while appealing to stakeholders, government and traditional institutions to work towards the sustenance of Nigerian indigenous languages for the sake of posterity.
