Of indigenous language and democratic inclusion

Nigeria is one of the most linguistically heterogeneous countries of the world with a diversity index of 0.866. This assertion of diversity index extols the probability that any two people of the country selected at random would have different mother tongues.

Language is a marker of ethnic identity as well as the mediator of cultural, symbolic and material resources.

Thus, every language has an inherent value which neither depends on the status a state or the society assigns to it, nor on the number of its speaker. Linguistic and cultural diversity is an added advantage to society.

If that is true, then Nigeria must begin to consider her multilingual status as a source of cultural enrichment that must be maintained and preserved.  Unfortunately, many Nigerian languages are presently threatened with extinction due to their utter neglect by both the government and society at large.

Guaranteeing democracy is essential for the development and continued existence of any nation.

However, participatory democracy entails making every citizen count and this is enhanced if there is a free flow of information between the government and the governed. For this to become feasible in Nigeria, recognising the indigenous languages by upholding linguistic pluralism is indispensable. Upholding linguistic pluralism in Nigeria is fundamental to achieving the democratic principles.

The power of language in ensuring participatory democracy should not be underestimated. Equality and fairness are essential principles in building shared societies and they cannot exist where there is discrimination, marginalisation and lack of opportunity for all.

The journey to a democratic and egalitarian society is not an easy one. While the Nigerian governments continue to pursue policies that would move the country forward in the areas of science, technology and material development, they should never forget that such efforts can only yield the desired results if all the citizens are carried along.

Since Nigeria is a highly multilingual nation, it is important that the government recognises the roles of indigenous languages both in human and material development. These languages need to be promoted so that those who speak them, whether they are few or many, would feel at home in the country, contribute their quotas to national development and live the life that they desire.

Hence, there is a need for the Nigerian government to standardise and increase the status of the numerous indigenous languages because this would help to uplift the speakers and give them both a voice and a place in the ever-increasing competitive society.

A starting point might be to start implementing the existing language policy on education and from there, to extend the use of indigenous languages beyond the lower primary school.

Felix Oladeji resides in Lagos