Posted by By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja on
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince Kayode Olatokunbo (SAN), has raised the alarm that majority of Nigerian languages are dying as many families forbid their children from speaking them.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince Kayode Olatokunbo (SAN), has raised the alarm that majority of Nigerian languages are dying as many families forbid their children from speaking them.
The minister, who spoke in Abuja on Monday at the first indigenous language programme organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation said that if the trend was not reversed, many Nigerian languages would soon become history as there would be nobody to speak them.
He scolded many parents who discouraged their children from speaking their dialects and instead asked them to speak English language.
He said this was why participants at the programme were taught such languages as Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Efik, Tiv and Gbayi.
He said that his ministry approved the programme because of the importance of language in the socio-cultural, economic and technological development of the people.
He also described language as a veritable tool for the expression and communication of culture.
The minister, who was represented by his special assistant, Mr. Gbenga Akinmoyo, said, 'Languages do not merely convey messages, they also express emotions, intentions and values, confirm social relations and transmit cultural and social expressions and practices.
'Conscious of the role of language in development, we have in the National Policy for Culture (2008) before the Federal Executive Council for approval, given priority attention to the promotion of our indigenous languages