Language, Culture, and Identity: The Importance of Preserving Indigenous Languages

Imagine waking up one morning and your mother language has gone into extinction. This was one of the prompts behind the establishment of the International Mother Language day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in 1999. This day is celebrated every 21st of February, with the theme for this year being ‘Silver Jubilee’. 

It commemorates the 1952 Bengali Language Movement in Bangladesh, where students sacrificed their lives advocating for the recognition of their mother tongue, Bangla. It reminds us of the importance and need to preserve and promote mother languages worldwide connecting languages to cultural identity.

Our Languages are symbols of our history, tradition, and collective memories. It goes beyond tools for communication. Each language embodies unique worldviews, cultural practices, and knowledge systems. Losing our languages signifies the disappearance of these rich cultural tapestries. According to an estimate by UNESCO, spoken or sign languages together number 8, 324 but only 7, 000 are still in use, with about 43% of the 7,000 languages at risk of extinction, one language disappears every two weeks. These statistics highlight the urgent need to preserve linguistic diversity and maintain our cultural heritage and identity. 

Nigeria is an example of linguistic richness, with over 500 native languages. Major languages include Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Kanuri, and Tiv. Despite this diversity, the dominant and official language of the nation is English, a vestige of colonial rule, used for formal education, government affairs, and urban communication. This prevalence of English often overshadows indigenous languages, leading to concerns about their vitality and transmission to future generations. There’s an African adage that says, when an old man dies, a library burns to the ground. 

As of 2021, statistics reveal that Hausa is the most spoken indigenous language in Nigeria, with over 48 million speakers. Yoruba and Igbo follow, with approximately 39.5 million and 27 million speakers respectively. Nigerian Pidgin, an English-based creole, is widely spoken, with about 30 million users. Although these figures indicate robust usage, the dominance of English in official domains poses challenges to the growth and preservation of indigenous languages.

A common wisdom states that, a child who doesn’t listen to their mother’s tongue will one day struggle to tell their own story. Preserving our mother languages is important for maintaining Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. Languages carry traditional knowledge, oral histories, and cultural expressions that define a community’s identity. Decline or loss of a mother tongue can lead to cultural fragmentation, causing disunity among indigenous people. As a result of this, fostering the use of native languages in education, media, and daily life is essential to preserve Nigeria’s diverse cultural landscape.

Well meaning Nigerians are making efforts to revitalise and promote indigenous languages within the country, and these efforts are gaining momentum. Some of these initiatives are the Yoruba Academy, Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture, Yorùbá Yé Mi, and Sụwanụ Igbo. Focusing on strategies such as incorporating mother tongues into educational curricula, producing literature and media content in local languages, and organising cultural festivals that celebrate linguistic diversity. These measures are focused on empowering communities to embrace their linguistic heritage and ensure the transmission of their mother tongues to future generations. 

International Mother Language Day serves as a reminder of the value of linguistic diversity. Preserving mother tongues is not only a matter of cultural pride but also an important aspect of sustaining the nation’s historical and cultural legacy. For a country like Nigeria, championing the use and preservation of indigenous languages, can give us the boost we need to value and celebrate our rich tapestry of cultural identities and history.