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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