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CONFERENCE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS ETHNICNATIONALITIES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS
Temporary Office: No. 17, Miango Road, Jos, Plateau State
Phone: 08036025872              E-Mail: conaecda@gmail.com

TEXT OF THE COOMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF MINORITY LANGUAGES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - INTERNATONAL STRATEGY CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY CONFERENCE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS ETHNIC COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS (CONAECDA) HELD BETWEEN JUNE 6 – 10, 2016 AT AZI NYAKO YOUTH CENTRE, JOS, PLATEAU STATE

The Minority languages programme is a programme that seeks to assist all minority ethnic nationalities, to put in place all necessary machineries to preserve and develop their languages, teach their children how to speak their languages and imbibe their cultures as a matter of utmost importance. The conference therefore, aims to identify and effectively classify all minority languages in Nigeria, develop media for each language to be written and read, produce reading materials and instructional materials for the teaching of minority languages in schools and educational and voluntary  institutions, encourage the use of minority languages both within the family, communities and in official matters where possible, preserve in oral and written forms various forms of literature in minority languages and ensure the survival and development of minority languages.
From the well researched papers presented, it is observed that there are an estimated 2,000 ethnic groups in Africa, speaking over 2,000 languages. Nigeria alone has more than 500 of these ethnic groups and languages. Of these over 500 languages, only 3 are officially regarded as major languages in Nigeria, where official local language policies favour the development and preservation of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba only. Some of the minority languages in Nigeria consist of more than 5 million native speakers, while some have less than 500 native speakers. Languages which are reserves of cultures, customs and native sciences, medicine, art, etc should not be allowed to die, yet in Nigeria, one can in metaphorical and real terms say, both language murder and language suicide are taking place.
The problem in Nigeria today in regards to language development and preservation of the minority languages is the adoption of English, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo by the government as the official languages, used for instruction in schools and in official business. While the National Policy on Education, usually cited as containing Nigeria’s “language policy”, provides that children in kindergarten and primary schools should receive instructions in their mother tongue, this has never been implemented outside the three official majority languages. All prescribed examinations, as well as government business, commerce and art are conducted in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The over 500 minority languages in Nigeria are in danger of extinction if deliberate plans at preserving them are not put in place. In line with this danger of losing the rich cultural diversity of the country, the conference was organized and attended by Traditional Rulers, Government officials, Community leaders, Representatives of language development organizations and individuals interested in language development.

RESOLUTIONS:
At the end of the conference, the following resolutions were made:
1.     The provision of the national policy on education which stipulates that children in kindergarten and primary schools should receive instructions in their mother tongue be fully implemented
2.     Minority ethnic groups should take pride in their languages and should speak, use and showcase them at all times.
3.     Minority language groups should intensify efforts in the development and preservation of their languages through publications, music and any other media and ensure their constant use.
4.     A national commission for Minority languages development and preservation be establish considering the huge number of over 500 languages which are not officially recognized and same be replicated at the State and Local Government levels.
5.     The States and Local Governments, being the primary implementers of National Policy on Education should be held responsible for its implementation.
6.     All minority ethnic nationalities should actively participate in the development and preservation of their languages as it affects every aspects of their identity.
7.     Multilingualism be encouraged by the Government to avoid attrition or extinction of our rich language diversity
8.     Traditional rulers being the custodians of our cultures, should encourage and promote the use of the ethnic minority languages of their respective domains
9.     Religious institutions should encourage and promote the use of the indigenous languages in  their various communities
10.                        Human, intellectual, institutional, financial, technological, etc resources be properly harnessed for the development and preservation of minority languages

RECOMMENDATIONS:
The conference recommends that:
1.     Government should strengthen security measures to prevent violent displacement of persons from their native lands which in turn accelerates language extinction.
2.     Each ethnic group should ensure the use of their language within the family and during their meetings and gatherings
3.     Traditional rulers should encourage the use of their language in their respective palaces and their chieftaincy titles should reflect their linguistic identity
4.     There should be a strong governmental policy on the development and preservation of minority languages.
5.     Books should be prepared to enable teachers of primary school classes to teach various subjects in the mother-tongue and encourage the use of minority languages both within the family, communities and in official matters where possible
6.     Development of computer and mobile applications that will facilitate the teaching/learning of languages, cartoons and stories in video formats, audio mp3 recordings of histories, documentaries, stories and plays, sponsorship of  media broadcast programme that will encourage the use of the languages.
7.     Develop a language internet website, and other online programmes for the teaching and learning of the languages, create language clubs in communities, language documentation and festival, bill boards in communities for advocacy and awareness on the primacy of developing and preserving minority languages, etc
8.     Politics should be used to encourage unity and peaceful co-existence among the ethnic nationalities rather than being instrument of division


Signed

Zuwaqhu Kalli Abungwon Bonat
National Coordinator


Suleman Dauda Sukukum
Secretary General


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