Osogbo – Dr Abiodun Ogunwale, a senior lecturer in the Department of African Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Monday urged the Federal Government to make the teaching of indigenous languages in primary schools compulsory.
Ogunwale gave the advice in Osogbo in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that such measure was necessary to guide the pupils to appreciate and inculcate the right values inherent in the culture and tradition of the Nigerian people.
“By making them more rooted in their local languages, the pupils would be made responsible and sensitive to their environment and therefore more patriotic.”
The lecturer argued that consciousness for local languages made countries in Asia to excel and progress speedily in all areas of development.
“It is very pertinent to retrace our roots and make our children more responsible and prepare for the future by inculcating right values in them through our local languages.
“It is practically dangerous to train our children without the consciousness for our local language.
“The present administration in Nigeria must make the teaching of our local languages a priority, at the early stage of life,” he said.
Edited By Adeboye Ajayi and Controlled by Maharazu Ahmed