The Executive Director, National Institute for
Nigerian Languages, Ben Elugbe, has urged
the Federal Government to sustain the ‘meta-
language’ project it introduced for the
development of various languages in the
country.
Mr. Elugbe made the appeal in an interview
in his office at the Akpaa-Mbato campus of
the institute, near Aba, in Abia.
He spoke against the backdrop of the
International Mother Languages Day, which
was being celebrated worldwide on Saturday.
He said that the day, themed, Mother Tongue:
Our Collective Heritage, was set aside by the
United Nations to celebrate the importance of
mother tongue to national development.
The executive director said developing
Nigerian languages would promote
development in other sectors, including
science.
He explained that being the first language
babies usually pick from mothers’ laps,
mother tongue “is the basis of a child’s
language development, understanding and
cooperation with the society.’’
Mr. Elugbe, therefore, urged parents to
communicate with their children in their
mother tongue, to preserve local languages
and help children to understand their world
and culture better.
In a separate interview, a senior lecturer at
the institute, Yotam Tsumba, charged
Nigerians to always conduct their socio-
cultural activities in their mother tongue.
He said that mother tongue, laced with
parables, helps in teaching the children
morals and the language vocabulary.
Mr. Tsumba said such communication should
not be limited to exchange of greetings, but in
all facets of life “if they hoped to preserve
their native language.”
The institute organised various events to
mark the day, including presentations in
Ghotuo (Edo), Tiv, Ibibio, Yoruba, Bwatiye and
Igbo languages.
The event was attended by secondary school
students and teachers in Aba, as well as
representatives of Otu Suwakwa Igbo and
Igbodum foundations.
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