Nigeria is a diverse country with over 525 languages. Some of the major languages include Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ibibio, Tiv, Kanuri, and a lot more.
Today, English is the most spoken language in Nigeria and it’s the adopted Lingua Franca. Nigeria was colonized by the British and ever since then, English became Nigeria’s official language. Our mother’s tongue has been neglected, whose fault is it? Who is to be blamed? Is it the parents, the teachers, or the government?
Do you think in fifty years to come, our mother’s tongue would still be in existence?
A teenager once said to me, “I don’t speak my language to my parents because they complain I don’t speak it well, so I decided to stick to speaking just English language”. In this situation who would you blame? The parent?
In schools today, the basic languages are being taught but outside those classes, students are penalized for speaking their languages. Are the school also be blamed?
All hands need to be on deck to help grow our native languages nobody should be penalized for speaking the languages.
Our languages should be treasured, guarded, and nurtured even for the upcoming generation. It should be compulsory for every Nigerian child to be able to speak their language.
It helps promote love, peace and also brings a sense of belonging among people in a nation.
Nigeria is a great nation.
Nigeria the giant of Africa.
The dwindling cultural education caused by our inferiority complex towards western education. This originates from the new generation of parents nowadays. They make foreign language the child’s first tongue.