Oluwo urges FG to promote Yoruba language, donates N2m for research
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
The Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the promotion and integration of indigenous languages into Nigeria’s education system.
Speaking at his palace during a visit by the leadership of the Association of Yoruba Language Scholars (Egbe Omoran Ede Yoruba), Oba Akanbi warned that Nigeria’s indigenous languages are gradually disappearing from classrooms and tertiary institutions.
The monarch said knowledge is better imparted when it is conveyed in a language that learners understand, stressing the importance of indigenous languages in education.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Education to review its policies and invest in programmes that would restore indigenous languages to a central place in teaching and learning.
Oba Akanbi described Yoruba as one of the country’s richest languages and called on the Minister of Education to promote instruction in indigenous languages to deepen understanding and preserve cultural heritage.
He, however, lamented the shortage of qualified Yoruba language teachers in schools and appealed to government authorities to recruit and train more instructors to meet growing demand.
As part of efforts to support the development of the language, the monarch donated ₦2 million to promote research on the Yoruba language, with a focus on developing Yoruba names for objects and other items.
