Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has renewed his call for the introduction of Yoruba language as a means of education and communication in schools across the South-Western part of Nigeria.
The Governor made the call in Akure, Ondo state capital on Thursday, at the first international conference commemorating the 5oth anniversary of the death of foremost indigenous novelist, Daniel Fagunwa.
Supporting his stance, Dr Fayemi said various experiments have shown that students who study in their mother tongue are better equipped than those taught in a second language.
He added that this was why the promotion of Yoruba language and culture is one of the cardinal elements of the regional integration agenda of the South West states.
“We must admit that everyday Fagunwa’s looming image continues to challenge us as a people. His works continue to remind us that our language is complete and that the Yoruba language must not be left to rot away”, he said.
The Governor stressed that the survival of a people’s language and culture remain the key to their future because it is the pathway to self-actualisation and real advancement.
Fayemi who commended the late Fagunwa for instilling the Yoruba language into the sub consciousness of generations asserted that the novelist’s promotion of traditional knowledge has been justified globally with the United Nations setting aside a day for indigenous peoples across the world in 1994.
The Governor added that Fagunwa’s writings did not only promote culture but also brought into greater visibility the philosophy and world view of the Yoruba race.
He explained that his books clearly demonstrated that the Yoruba language is not inferior to any other language in the world.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion and Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, stated that Fagunwa’s books show his brilliance and talents, adding that they are quite useful in legal proceedings on criminal cases.
At the event were the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; the keynote speaker, Professor Wole Soyinka; foremost linguist, Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose; Professor Niyi Osundare; the Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Prof Femi Mimiko; Prof Olu Obafemi and a host of other professors.
Last modified: August 8, 2013
