Language Research

2. Background: Background notes

Independence was achieved from the U.K. on October 1, 1960.

Constitution: The 1979 Constitution is still partially in force.

Updated (August 2010)

LINGUISTIC MULTIPLICITY

With a population 140 million, Nigeria is undoubtedly the most populous nation in Africa.

Nigeria’s overwhelming dominance in terms of population gave rise to multiplicity of languages. With over 471 languages including the English language and Pidgin, the linguistic situation in Nigeria is a complex one with an extreme multilingual nature.

The actual figure of languages spoken in the country cannot be given with any degree of certainty. This arises from different factors. First of which is the interdependency between languages and dialects. In some cases, scholars are not in agreement with which language form should be regarded as language and which should be regarded as dialect.

Though English is the country’s official language, Hausa (with about 21 percent of the population as L2 speakers), Igbo (with about 16 percent) and Yoruba (21 percent) are major languages in Nigeria. These languages have semi-formal official status.

Apart from these major languages listed above, there are other languages in existence in the country, which could be classified into minor and minority languages. It should also be noted that, though there are over 470 languages in Nigeria, these languages are not evenly distributed.

Linguistic multiplicity in Nigeria: The origin

Linguistic multiplicity can generally be traced to the Biblical Tower of Babel, when the people tried to build a strong tower that could get to heaven.
However, the sociolinguistics and, to some extent, political evolution of Nigeria has had several outcomes on the languages spoken in the country. It leads to the extensive promotion of the so-called official language in education and national life and to the redefining of the function of the indigenous languages. Above anything else, it resulted into English gaining the status of the country’s lingua franca, while the other 471 indigenous languages continued to exist basically as local languages, only spoken in the communities where they exist.

The major linguistics outcome of European colonization in Nigeria was the introduction of foreign languages and the reallocation of functions for the indigenous languages.

The complex ethno-linguistics nature of Nigeria generally referred to on this account did not result exclusively from colonialism. Thus, colonialism might have added a foreign language to it, but the complexity in ethnic groupings occurred long before colonialism.

Through inter-tribal wars, the search for good agricultural land, good climates, protective boundaries, resettlement of freed slaves, linguistics multiplicity came into existence. So, the large expanse of land that later became transformed into countries following the arbitrary delineation of boundaries by the colonialists was already multilingual and multi-ethnic. However, colonialism was not only decisive because it made it more complex, but also created a ladder for the language in contact. This ladder places the English language at the top as the language of wider communication, while Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba were at the middle and the other indigenous languages at the bottom. The indigenous or local languages carry within them a very high number of dialects created by migration; inter-marriage and urbanization.
These home languages have a functional value that is not compensated for by English, the colonial language. The local languages pushed to the background have since continued to depreciate in value, usage, and status. Therefore, one is compelled to ask whether linguistic multiplicity or multilingualism is a blessing to the Nigeria as a nation or a curse.

Linguistic Multiplicity: A curse or a blessing?

Most Nigerians consider acquisition of English alone a pre-requisite for studying and settling abroad (that is away from their area of origin), as well as for qualifying for both local and international jobs. Globalization incorporates cultural integration and political economy. This suggests that people are invariably bound to adopt and adapt to other culture and languages that enhanced their socio-economic well-being, thereby loosing their culture gradually. One of the best means of sustaining ones culture is through language. This is one of the harm being inflicted on Nigeria’s culture through multilingualism, as some cultures and languages are gradually going into extinction since the native speakers of such local languages chose to shifty loyalty to other “bigger language”. It is an handicap to national unity and integration. Politicians have been known to have used the linguistic and cultural differences as an instrument of divide and rule among the citizenry. Although the co-existence of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba languages has not provided any significant socio-linguistics conflicts, each of these communities built identity boundaries around them that exclude the others.

There are arguments for and against linguistics multiplicity in Nigeria. Though, the disadvantages seem enormous. Multiplicity of language could be a great asset to any nation, in which Nigeria could not be said to be an exception, if well managed and handled.
As it stands today, linguistics multiplicity is yet to prove its importance and usefulness in Nigeria, and this stems from the attitude of the speakers of the local languages. In fact, it has continued to be a source of serious concern due to the current trend in crises being experienced by the different ethno-linguistic groups in Nigeria.

Conclusively, if our linguistics diversity is well-handled and managed, the nation will experience a unassailable unity. The linguistics situation in Nigeria shows that multiplicity of languages is currently far more a disadvantage than a blessing.

We need to encourage teaching and learning of the languages of other ethnic groups, thereby creating a bond among the people. It is natural that people tend to love people of other ethnic groups who understand their language and culture. Learning other languages will promote unity and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians. It should also be noted that no matter how good one is in foreign languages, one might not attain the height of perfection like the native speakers.

Source: Nigerian Compass, Features, August 18, 2010 by Abraham Oladipupo (Abraham Oladipupo is a student on Linguistics and Public Relations Officer on the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan) http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65968:linguistic-multiplicity-a-curse-or-a-blessing-&catid=634:education&Itemid=695

GOVERNEMENT WANTS TO SAVE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

The Federal Government plans to save indigenous languages spoken in different parts of Nigeria from possible extinction. The dominance of Western culture in the daily life of the average Nigerian is affecting the spoken ability of the mother tongue users.

The growing trend of increased urbanization has further aggravated the situation to the extent that in most families in Nigerian cities, English is the only acceptable means of communication between parents and their children, thus putting their local dialect at great risk of extinction.

However, Professor Godswill Obioma, an Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), attributed this factor to lack of an acceptable National Language Policy, saying, these languages spoken in different parts of Nigeria may die in this century if nothing was done to reclaim them.

In response to the yearning of the Federal Government to bridge this gap, Obioma, accordingly inaugurated a National Technical Committee on the Development of a National Language Policy who has three months to develop a draft National Language Policy after wide consultations with stakeholders.

Besides, he has called for strict enforcement of Nigeria’s policy on education, which stipulates that the child should be taught in the mother tongue or the language of his or her immediate community for the first three years of primary schooling.

According to him, some parents have an erroneous perception that their children’s ability to speak their indigenous language would blur their understanding of the English language and learning ability.

Source: Sunday Tribune, August 22, 2010 by Clement Idoko http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/heart-of-kulture/1901-fg-moves-to-save-nigerias-vanishing-indigenous-languages-culture