Features
Sustaining Nigerian Local Languages
Mummy, mummy, grandma was talking nonsense; she was making noise like that bird that comes to our balcony: Haha, haha aa!!’’ says Eleena, a five-year-old girl.
Eleena was narrating her conversation with her grandmother who she met for the first time when they travelled to the village for holidays.
The old woman was speaking Igbo to Eleena who was only exposed to the use of English and Yoruba languages at home and in school. To the poor girl, however, her grandmother’s language is simply meaningless and a noise.
Although Eleena’s parents are both Igbos resident in Lagos, it is only her father that travels to their home town whenever the need arise.
At their residence, English is the only language in use but Eleena and her brother are able to have a smattering competence in Yoruba language use via their interaction with school mates and other kids in the neighbourhood.
However, Eleena’s inability to speak and comprehend Igbo, her parents’ mother tongue, became obvious when she accompanied her parents on a visit to their home town and she was exposed to the rather “strange’’ language for the first time ever.
Eleena’s experience is just a reflection of the dilemma of many other young Nigerians who are residing in communities outside their places of origin, as many of the youngsters are glaringly unable to speak their indigenous languages.
The development has been a source of concern to many citizens, particularly linguists and communication experts, who lament that due to socio-economic factors, among others, many young Nigerians are unable to communicate in their native languages.
“This is harmful and it could be a serious source of concern in the future when its effects begin to reflect in the character and lifestyles of our children,’’ says Dr. Fred Odutola, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).
“This is because the death of a language means the death of a culture and the languages some Nigerians are teaching their children lack the basic qualities of our cultures,’’ he says.
From all indications, many other citizens share Odutola’s sentiments, as the language problem is gradually becoming more serious nowadays.
For instance, Onyeukwu Okeoha, a Lagos-based Igbo man, had a shocking experience that made him to realise some costly mistakes he made in the upbringing of his children.
Okeoha says that he became unhappy when he realised that his daughter, who scored an “A’’ grade in Yoruba in WASC, could not make a correct statement in Igbo language.
“One of my daughters even told me that she hates Igbo and the others are not speaking the language. At best, they only speak ‘adulterated’ Igbo and this is shameful to me for I am a chief in my village,’’ he says.
Okeoha’s mistake is that English was the language of communication at home, while his children never accompanied him to the village during his occasional visits for “security reasons’’.
The retired civil servant later came to realise that he had unwittingly injured his children’s lifestyles since they have massively “borrowed’’ from other people’s cultures, while continuing to be ‘aliens’’ in their own cultural setting.
Okeoha’s plight tend to reinforce the worry of many observers that if care is not taken, some of the country’s local languages may soon go into extinction.
Fabumi Temitope, a Lagos-based teacher, says that going by the way the young Nigerians now speak English and other alien languages, some of the indigenous languages may be forced to go into extinction soon.
“Even parents, who are supposed to be promoting the use of the local languages in their homes, are even speaking English to their children,’’ he says.
“The children do not even think or act in our ways anymore; whenever they speak our local languages, they only superimpose the structures of the borrowed languages on them, thus producing laughable language constructions,’’ she says.
Temitope insists that the situation does not augur well with plans to develop and standardise the country’s local languages, adding that this will also affect national development.
“Although I am a Yoruba woman living in an urban setting, I still want us to go back to the old times when we used to have moonlight story-telling sessions which then deepened the youths’ knowledge of our cultures and languages.
“Language and culture are interwoven. So, if we have the people who don’t understand our languages, we would also have people who don’t understand our cultures. We must promptly act to revive our cultures and our languages.
“If it means engaging old people in the villages to teach our young children, we should do so. If we lose our languages, we will consequently lose our cultures and we would become a cultureless society with the attendant negative consequences,’’ Temitope says.
Sharing similar sentiments, Yemi Babalola, a journalist, insists that culture and language are intertwined.
“And these days, we Nigerians are eager to imbibe foreign cultures and languages, forgetting our roots and the fact that we are different and unique.
“You can hardly find any home nowadays where parents do not speak English language to their children; that is very bad.
“Some parents cannot even speak their mother tongue, not to talk of teaching their children the language and this means that the use of local languages is fast fading out,’’ she says.
Babalola says that due emphasis should be placed on the children’s mastery of local languages as their mother tongue before their exposure to foreign languages.
“It is when the children have mastered their mother tongue very well that they will find it easy to pick up and speak other languages better,” she adds.
Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo of the Department of English, University of Lagos, says that a language reflects the culture of a group of people and the strength of their creativity, adding that the loss of the country’s languages would be tantamount to a loss of its identity and creativity.
She, nonetheless, says that there is still hope in rectifying the precarious situation.
“I do not have any magic formula to solving the problem but I know that people have to make effort. Right now, I am striving to see that my grandchildren speak Igbo language.
“My children speak Igbo very well because I made sure they spoke Igbo when I was bringing them up. Now, the focus is on my grandchildren and it is a tough mission. Everything in life is tough; you just have to make efforts.
“Every Nigerian child should be able to speak at least one Nigerian language. Even if one marries somebody from another ethnic group, the couple should decide on which language the children should speak and they should teach them the language,’’ she says.
Linguists say that a natural mechanism in infants, known as the “Language Acquisition Device’’ (LAD), enables a child to pick up and speak about three languages simultaneously within a specific age-bracket.
Adimora-Ezeigbo says that children can speak up to three languages at the same time before they attain the age of 12, adding that they could, therefore, speak English and any other two languages they are exposed to comfortably.
“Many parents fear that if they speak their mother tongue to their children, the children would not be able to speak English language well but that is a lie because the child can speak more than one language at the same time.
“As an adult, it is so difficult learning a new language but for children it is not so. I have seen some young couples trying to teach their children their mother tongues; it is slow but it is beneficial,’’ she says.
Adimora-Ezeigbo stresses that the people should make concerted efforts to promote the use of local languages, saying: “If we do not pay the price of language revival now, in the next 25 years, some languages will die according to UNESCO. And Igbo language is listed as one of the languages.
“We should make efforts to preserve Nigerian local languages by speaking it others and to our children,’’ she says.
Analysts, nonetheless, insist that schools have a major role to play in ensuring the survival of Nigerian local languages.
Mrs Mary Odukoya, the Principal of High Grade Schools in Dopemu, Lagos, concedes that she is aware of the threat of the looming extinction of some local languages, stressing that her school is making extra efforts to promote the teaching of such languages.
“In the bid to support our cultural development, we have been teaching our students about these cultures and languages and we even have instituted a ‘Nigerian Day’ in the school.
“The ‘Nigerian Day’ was introduced to support efforts to sustain Nigerian languages and cultures; it was also part of our contributions toward saving the languages from going into extinction,’’ she says.
Odukoya says that the National Education Policy requires that students should study at least one local Nigerian language, adding that whenever a child is able to speak a language well, he or she would be in a better position to understand its culture more lucidly.
“To ensure that this policy requirement is met, while the study of Nigerian languages is sustained in the schools, the ministry of education should monitor the policy’s implementation.
“Monitoring will ensure that the policy is working well, while perceived mistakes will also be corrected on time,’’ she says.
Odukoya, nonetheless, insists that parents have pivotal roles to play in efforts to promote the use of local languages because the children are often with them most of the times.
“Ironically, parents are the ones who speak foreign languages to these children, apparently to massage their ego,’’ she says.
“This unwittingly worsens the children’s performance in English language because most of the children often pick up the wrong diction at home and the imperfect language use sticks when they begin to formally learn English at school,’’ she adds.
Besides, Odukoya urges parents to take their children along whenever they travel down to their home towns, so as to ensure that the children do not get alienated from their root, which is reflected in their language and culture.
Mr. Ohi Ojo, Assistant Director (Public Affairs), Nigerian Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), concedes that the institute is aware that Nigerian languages are gradually dying out.
“We are also aware that some major languages are swallowing up the ones spoken by smaller groups of people,’’ he says.
However, NICO is striving to mobilise all stakeholders, including youths, parents and government agencies, in efforts to tackle the menace.
Ojo says that the institute, which has six zonal offices across the country, is replicating its language programmes in these zones to ensure that the country’s indigenous languages are saved from extinction.
Odutola, nonetheless, notes that Igbo language faces the greatest risk of extinction, citing the statement of the Bible Society of Nigeria that it has stopped printing Igbo Bibles in large quantities because they are not easily sold.
As part of efforts to promote Igbo language use in urban centres, the “Ndi-Igbo Association’’ in Lagos has since August this year been organising coaching programmes in Igbo language in some selected centres.
Ijendu Ihiaka
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku