THE Federal Government has pledged to protect the country’s multiple languages from going into extinction, just as it vows to continue to encourage the study of French as a second language in Nigeria.

Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu.Ahmed Rufa’i, stated this in Abuja, on Thursday, at a breakfast meeting with the outgoing French Language project manager in Nigeria, Mr Jean Phillipe Roy.

According to her, multi-lingualism was essential in the 21st century to a country’s development in view of the importance attached to language and related cultural identity globally.
She added that the Federal Government, as part of its goal of transforming the education sector, developed curriculum that encourages the study and mastery of other languages.

Professor Rufa’i, said the study of French Language in Nigeria, was particularly key, considering the fact that “ all our neighbouring countries are French-speaking” and that apart from English Language, French Language is of the key international languages. She commended the French government for huge investment in promoting the language and development of Nigeria’s education sector.
The minister thanked the outgoing French Language project manager for promoting cordial and excellent relationship between France and Nigeria.

She said: “Ministry will remember his contributions to the reform of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for French candidates, which will take effect from 2014, scholarship to 16 teachers of French Language to France for one month and supply books to schools amongst others.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/item/20340-fg-vows-to-protect-nigeria’s-multiple-languages.html

Afam4eva: You want to protect Nigeria's languages by encouraging the adoption of french as a second language. What an irony.

sincerely, I shake my head for Nigeria being ruled by incompetent leaders.

Ayekotoo:

sincerely, I shake my head for Nigeria being ruled by incompetent leaders.

From a largely careless public. Many Nigerians with knowledge of their native language don't speak it to their children, speaking English instead, and expect such kids to know the language, then wonder and worry that their languages are zipping down. I know this since I'm a child of such Nigerians.

Vowed to protect Nigerian Languages by introducing French in UTME? That is not even the case, after UTME, what next? Where will the students be admitted to? The closed universities? Una better think well about this ASUU strike

Na wa ooo... Na language they wan protect when we can't even have 12hours of power as they vowed...SMH

Yungwizzzy: pls Friends incase you see X or Y pls pm me my lecturer asked me to find it thanks

God will bless you

Lame!!

We all know what happens anytime the FG vows..
..
FG vows to provide improved electricity b4 december..
FG vows to provide jobs for graduates..
FG vows to deal with boko-haram..
FG vows to end ASUU strike..
FG vows to improve the standard of living..
FG vows to tackle corruption..
..
Na so so vow,vow vow dem sabi...
Msheeeeeww!!
Vow ko,bow leg ni..
..
Abeg anytime wey FG vow,make una just bow,then comot hope..
All izz well!

I think it is the duty of every ethnic group to promote their languages. Nigeria is multi dimensional, the best we can do is to train our children to speak and write our languages. Government has a role to play but with the government on ground, i dont think its possible. They re just full of promises without any or little to show for it. Yoruba, hausa and igbo are the major indigenous language that cannot go into extinction, the rest re at the mercy of government.

There's Nothing They Can Do About It. Young Parents Would Keep Bringing Their Kids Up With English Language Whether The Parents Can Construct A Simple English Sentence Or Not.

It All Depends On The Environment The Kid Is Being Brought Up For Him Or Her To Understand Native Languages.

Even Me Sef, I'll Bring Up My Kids With English Language. I Can't Lie.

Mass failure in English language examination, let alone English & french.

I think General Abacha declared french as our second national language.

But problem with nigeria is that there is always problem of inconsistency of policies. nigeria is a fake country. One nigeria is the problem

Professor Rufa’i, said the study of French Language in Nigeria, was particularly key, considering the fact that “ all our neighbouring countries are French-speaking” and that apart from English Language, French Language is of the key international languages. She commended the French government for huge investment in promoting the language and development of Nigeria’s education sector.

Speaking french is necessary because many of our neighbors speak french.

juman:
Speaking french is necessary because many of our neighbors speak french.

Is this a very good reason for learning french. Just because our neighbors speak french? Like seriously?

what a useless leadership mtssw they are talking languages and forget education hmm. we just need good leaders we must dump pdp and go for the better alternative. APC by gods willing will win 2015 for us to have a better leadership

Afam4eva:
Is this a very good reason for learning french. Just because our neighbors speak french? Like seriously?

Yes and yes.

French Language is a key international language as stated by the minister and it's highly important and necessary for us (nigerians) to be able to communicate with our neighbors.

If we have viable nigeria, interaction with our neighbors would be much.

Mtchewww

no be nigeria we dey? This is just cheap words from the federal government to confuse the public so as to think they are really working.

How does french promote our language?

Thanks to the south west governors for Considering Yoruba As Language Of Instruction in schools. I think these are people with vision and agenda to save the nation, culture and tradition from going extinct.

GEJ, SHEPOPOTAMUS, FEDERAL GOVT AND PDP SHOULD GO AND SIT DOWN. They are confused and got nothing to offer........2015 mission.....sweep animal out of government offices

While I think that we should adopt a language that will unify us as nigerians.....since it is obvious we can't choose hausa igbo or yoruba, why don't we just take pigin instead. Everybody speaks it and is also unique to us...Abi how una see am.
My opinion,you're entitled to yours

juman:

Yes and yes.

French Language is a key international language as stated by the minister and it's highly important and necessary for us (nigerians) to be able to communicate with our neighbors.

If we have viable nigeria, interaction with our neighbors would be much.

We should learn to fix home before fixing outside. Let's harness our own languages before adding insult(french) to injury(english). If anybody wants to learn french, the person should do so but it reeks of 1diocy for the government of the day to tell us to learn another foreign language as a second language. Why don't we promote Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and export to the world. When will we stop importing and start exporting.

juman:

Yes and yes.

French Language is a key international language as stated by the minister and it's highly important and necessary for us (nigerians) to be able to communicate with our neighbors.

If we have viable nigeria, interaction with our neighbors would be much.

Why shouldn't we learn mandarin( a Chinese language) too. Afterall, It is the most spoken language on earth.

What is even the advantage of nigerians speaking multiple languages? how does it benefit us? I know that it divides us. Can someone tell me what benefit we get from speaking different languages?

omonori1: While I think that we should adopt a language that will unify us as nigerians.....since it is obvious we can't choose hausa igbo or yoruba, why don't we just take pigin instead. Everybody speaks it and is also unique to us...Abi how una see am.
My opinion,you're entitled to yours

Ur yan de korect.

What is even the influence of french on our economy?

I wish Franch was the firs to colonize Nigeria! This is coming rather too late. Anyway, better late than never. But please we should try to atleast know how to say "come" and "go" in our local dialect even if the government does not want to believe that our local dialect is gradually going into extinction.
If this is a way to harmonize Nigerians, i think there will be no more conflict btw d SW and the SE, d North and the Sw & SE, and finally, which is the most important, between d SW, SE, North and the rest.

Abegi. The English wey be our first language sef, how many of us fit speak am well? If I learn french again, who I wan dey speak am with, shey na my Papa? The day wey Spanish ambassador go wan go back to him country, another idiot go talk say make we use am do third language. Nigeria don tire me abeg who know where dem dey sell American visa?

WTF is French?
Please try save my local dialect, it's almost going extinct.
I don't think the speakers presently are up to 300,000 people majority are the old fellas.
#savemylanguagealert

The Article is not about protecting Nigeria's languages, but about adopting French as our second language.Only the first paragraph spoke about protecting Nigeria's languages.The title is misleading.

o b small o..but even this our pidgin english no dey d same for every part of our obodo naija o...make i give you example na..."obodo"..obodo na warri pidgin, if u go ask yoruba baba sey wetin be d meaning of 'obodo', him no go sabi. but na every day we dey hear "obodo Igbo" - abroad, 'obodo naija - we yard". Anoda example be "asewo"...ashewo na yoruba pidgin, but warri people steal am becos na dem need am pass...hahahah, also, "Haba"...na hausa pidgin...but many girls dey use am becaus ethey wan sound Behind..na only God fit unite us o..because Naija don scatter since..

They keep vowing...

The blackman has complex challenge

They tell us democracy is the best we accept
They tell us our religions are fetish and bad we dump
They tell us that our culture is backward we discard it
They tell us that our money is over valued we devaluated
They tell us that our skin colour is wrong we are bleaching or do I say toning
They said our hair is too kinky and waird we fix weavon and what ever hair it is
They tell us that our produce are not good we import

Now they say that our languages are not fashionable now parents are speaking English and adopting French


Why can't they do this in Asia or Arab

What is wrong with black nay Nigerians

What is wrong with our mentality and mentation

Can we be ourselves ?

i will rather teach my kids how to speak yoruba ,hausa,chineese,spanish or potuguese languagge rather than French.