The Linguistic Association of Nigeria, LAN, has urged stakeholders to invest in Nigerian languages to promote their use in education, research, and technology. At the association's 37th annual conference in Abuja, Professor Gbenga Ibileye emphasized the need for practical structures to support Nigeria's multilingual environment. He stressed that the country must move beyond policy declarations to develop and implement effective language technologies. This call for action aims to strengthen the use of Nigerian languages in various sectors.
Professor Ibileye proposed several initiatives to develop Nigerian language technology, including the creation of text and speech corpora, digital dictionaries, and lexical databases. He prioritized under-resourced and endangered Nigerian languages, emphasizing their importance in the country's linguistic diversity. The proposed initiatives also include the establishment of a Nigerian Language Technology Network to bring together experts from various fields to develop technologies for Nigerian languages. This network would facilitate collaboration and innovation in language technology.
The keynote speaker advocated for a national multilingual education research programme to generate evidence on literacy, numeracy, bilingual education, teacher preparedness, and learning outcomes. This programme would provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of multilingual education in Nigeria. Professor Ibileye also proposed a dedicated Language Resource and Technology Fund to finance language documentation, digitization, teacher training, and language technologies. The fund would be supported by government, universities, international organizations, private companies, and philanthropic bodies.
Professor Ibileye emphasized that the debate on language use in education should shift from English versus mother tongue to developing an educational system that promotes proficiency in English while preserving and expanding the functional use of Nigerian languages. He stressed the importance of a balanced approach that values both English and Nigerian languages. This approach would ensure that students develop language skills that are relevant to their cultural and educational contexts.
Earlier, the National President of LAN, Professor Gideon Omachonu, highlighted the association's commitment to providing an authoritative scholarly voice on Nigerian languages. He noted that LAN had made significant institutional developments, including formal registration, introduction of life and corporate membership, and strengthening of its fellowship programme. These developments aim to enhance the association's capacity to contribute to national language and education policies.
The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, emphasized the importance of preserving and developing Nigeria's linguistic diversity. He noted that the country's linguistic heritage represents a repository of history, philosophy, traditional knowledge, and collective memory. The Vice-Chancellor challenged scholars to explore the capacity of African languages to communicate advanced knowledge in various fields, including artificial intelligence, medicine, law, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
The conference featured the investiture of new fellows and honorary fellows of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria, as well as the presentation of awards for outstanding contributions to linguistic scholarship and the association's development. The event provided a platform for scholars to share their research and expertise, promoting the development of Nigerian language technology. The association's efforts aim to promote the use of Nigerian languages in education, research, and technology.
Key points
- LAN calls for increased investment in Nigerian language technology to promote its use in education, research, and technology.
- Professor Ibileye proposes the development of text and speech corpora, digital dictionaries, and lexical databases to support Nigerian language technology.
- The association aims to establish a Nigerian Language Technology Network to bring together experts from various fields to develop technologies for Nigerian languages.
