Why Nigeria Must Promote Local Languages, Culture-Soyinka
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has stressed the need to promote Nigeria’s local languages and culture in order to drive national development. Soyinka made the call on Monday while answering questions from newsmen after his visit to the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts, University of Ilorin, as part of activities leading to the institution’s maiden Cultural Week.
He said that a language is the repository of a people and community, adding that young people should be encouraged to understand the language of their forefathers.
According to Soyinka, language is a beautiful tool for expression.
“In the last head count it was discovered that there were 300 languages in Nigeria.
“We need to learn foreign languages that are spoken and recognized around the world to develop ourselves and the country, but this should not be to the detriment of our local language.
“We need to learn to read, write and invent in our local languages, even before we think or compose in other languages, to be able to conduct research and develop our country.
The Nobel laureate said that there was a need to transform the old traditional ways of living to modern in order to get cultural value.
“This is by introducing the local foods, songs and ways of solving issues in the past to modern day living.
“We can start by asking our mothers how they did it perfectly in the past and use the method on our children.
“This is for them to be knowledgeable about their origin and make judicious use of the method to solve many issues in their present,” Soyinka said.
He also said that there was a need for local languages to be made compulsory in schools and Nigerians to know their history and culture for them to be proud of their heritage.
“We need to cherish our culture and traditions as an African country in order to maintain our dignity and value.
Earlier, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, had described Soyinka’s visit as a moment of pride and historical importance to the institution.
Egbewole, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed the collective joy of the academic community in hosting a global cultural figure of Soyinka’s stature. He noted that the establishment of the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts was inspired by a vision that aligned closely with the Nobel laureates lifelong dedication to arts and humanities.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that the Centre was conceptualised with figures like Soyinka in mind, saying that the initiative was borne out of genuine intentions to contribute meaningfully to cultural scholarship and global discourse.
He explained that the vision for the Centre had been nurtured over time and had now materialized with students enrolled in programs across various levels, including diploma, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The Vice Chancellor expressed optimism that the Centre would grow to become one of the foremost institutions of its kind globally, especially with the involvement and endorsement of Prof. Soyinka.