By Aisha Mohammed
Indigenous languages have been identified as a crucial tool for preserving cultural heritage and promoting societal development in Nigeria.
The State Chairman, Nigeria Indigenous Language Development Council, Adamawa State branch, Joshua Napa, made the assertion at a one-day seminar focused on the importance of language for societal development held in Yola, Adamawa State.
Explaining the essence of the seminar, the State Chairman, Joshua Napa, stressed the need for all parents to make it a collective habit to revive indigenous culture in order to encourage the younger generation to use indigenous languages.
He also said the seminar served as a platform for development that brought together participants from over sixty indigenous languages in Adamawa State to share ideas for collective progress.
A keynote Speaker, Wafari Theman, said the seminar was a welcome development that would go a long way in promoting unity in diversity in Adamawa State.
On their part, the Commissioners of Education and Human Capital Development, Garba Pela, and the Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Aloysius Babadoke, described language as not only a means of communication but also an identity needed to preserve indigenous norms and values.
Babadoke reaffirmed the Adamawa State Government’s commitment to introducing indigenous cultural programmes in secondary schools with the aim of educating young Nigerians on their norms, culture, language, and identity.
In a goodwill message, Zachariya Nyampa said effective language policies can help promote harmony and inclusivity in multilingual societies like Adamawa, hence the need for parents to encourage their children to learn indigenous languages in order to preserve cultures from becoming endangered.
At the event, there was a paper presentation on language and cultural heritage for preserving identity through language, presented by a guest speaker, Kalep Fili.
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