Nigeria along the Bramble of language

       Language is the basic requirement of man to make possession of any valuable things in life. Language is the medium through which every individual attains quantitative and qualitative ingredients of life. It is the means through which human beings communication (both verbal and non verbal) and this serves as the hall-mark of a group and society. Thus, language is the symbol of progress for any culture.

        It is through language that human beings can change their environment, perhaps there may be another means for development, and language is the only route to the development of any society or nation because it is the tool to access anything in all facets of life. Every individual thinks, acts and knows about what is in his or her environment as a result of the language he or speaks. In fact, one tends to tour effectively across the world if one understands language(s) of every speech community. In the essence of this, every country in the world struggles to make historical fact sheet in terms of development (through language). Therefore, Africa including Nigeria and other countries around it set up goals for national development, but this is like someone chasing the shadow of his destiny because the plan for national development tends to be the plan for doom without adequate plans for the language.

        Just like any other African nations, Nigeria became independent in 1960. Her independence aimed at making unprecedented changes in all human endeavors. This was done by making policies that would be the templates for national development. As a multilingual nation, Nigeria is made up of nothing less than four hundred indigenous languages but the policies being made during the independence gave preference to some regional languages while others were marginalized. Languages such as Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba were given official status for provincial use. All these languages are ethnic and regional base-Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the west and Igbo in the south. These three languages are recognized in the constitution of the country as indigenous languages while Edo, Kanuri, Ebira, Nupe, Efik, Ijo, Ibibio, Idoma, Igala, Fulfude and other indigenous languages were marginalized.

        Then English was made the official language in the country. Unlike Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba being used at provincial level, English was given official status, to be used at national level. Since then, anyone who is going to participate in the affairs of his/her country must be fluent in English. As part of the policies, English language is imposed on every Nigerian child right from the fourth year in primary school till university. Not only that every Nigerian child was forced to have a minimum of credit (in English) pass in the O’ level exam while it is stated that fail in English is fail in all subjects. Thus no human being will be offered admission to any tertiary institution without a minimum of credit pass in English. The question now is, do we believe that English is the only tool for our human and national development? If not it is clear that Nigeria is walking along the brambles of language, therefore, the country’s focus is on the mirage of self plenum.

        Nevertheless, indigenous languages in Nigeria are being allocated different roles but they are not embraced by the local people; instead, English performs both the function of neutrality and mother tongue. In Nigeria and some part of Africa, many go for foreign language while prestige is no more given to their mother tongue. English, French and Portuguese are imposed on Africans due to the colonization. These exoglossic languages are not only imposed on Africans as neutral medium of communication, they are also the remnant of colonization. Probably, this is the cause of death of some African languages. Particularly in Nigeria, many people (both literate and illiterate) tend to believe that they are well communicated in English or any other foreign languages while their mother tongues are endangered. The instance of this is not far fetch. Interference is regnant among the speakers of indigenous languages in Nigeria. If one speaks without code stitching or mixing, one has not spoken well in his/her mother tongue. Even some indigenous languages in the country are restricted to aged people. Thus mother tongue is dying while English has no hiccups.

        The outcome of endangered language is language death or extinction. Language death is not the action of a day but gradual process to the annihilation. Failure to speak a language by the young generation is the signal for its death or being endangered. It is not a mistake to say some languages in Nigeria are endangered because people embrace English than their mother tongue. Some do this because of academic while some prefer it because of political participation. But many speakers of English in Nigeria are not eloquent in the language neither their mother tongue nor language of scripture. Though they can be regarded as bilingual(s) but most of them are incipient.

        In a nutshell, no one can deny the fact that language is part of human creation; just like ear, nose hands and other part of the body, language is created with human. It is specifically meant for social identification but the occurrences in life such as colonization, war and conquest and so on may lead one to lose his or her language. But for the case of Nigeria, English was imposed on us because of the colonization. Perhaps people are unaware; speaking English should not make indigenous languages in the country to be endangered. Though some indigenous languages have official status, those that have no official status should ensure that the prestige of their languages is intact, because a language embraced (spoken) by its speakers attracts foreign learners. Though it is good to be bilingual-balanced one is preferable, if all leave their mother tongues and go for foreign one, the case is like changing one’s identity.