Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka emphasizes the importance of promoting Nigeria’s local languages and culture to drive national development.
Wole Soyinka made this call during an interactive session with newsmen at the University of Ilorin.
A language is a repository of a people and community, and young people should be encouraged to understand the language of their forefathers.
“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 recognised 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,” Soyinka stated.
He maintained that there is a need to transform old traditional ways of living to modern times to get cultural value.
He further stated that local languages should be made compulsory in schools, and Nigerians should know their history and culture to be proud of their heritage.