Scholars Charge Yorubas On Their Language

By Kayode Akinjare - 03.05.2008

THE Yoruba people have been urged to join hands in saving their culture from extinction. This assertion was made at the 13th J.F. Odunjo Memorial Lecture held on Friday at the Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan.

In the lecture, titled “The Wall of Fools: Implications For AFL2 (African Languages as a second Language)”, Professor Afolabi Olabode decried the neglect of African languages for western languages, describing it as selling one’s birthright to foreigners. He added that Yoruba language is too rich to be replaced with any foreign language.

He added: “The unnecessary speaking of the English language in our society causes misconception in most cases. The speaking of Yoruba language has been neglected and it’s a threat to the Yoruba culture and the Yoruba race at large.”

He charged the government to compulsorily include the teaching of Nigerian and African languages in the curricula of the various educational institutions.

In his own remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Professor Lekan Oyeleye, lauded the Odunjo family for organising such an important programme which, according to him, had touched various areas of the Yoruba socio- cultural terrain.