macof:


I think some languages need to die in order to create a better cultural assimilation in some parts of Nigeria...
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't wish for Africans to forget their language for a foreign one but rather another African language better organized, popular and spoken by more people

I know what you mean, like the Fulani people in North West (not North East where I'm from) who have forgotten how to speak Fulfulde in favour of Hausa.

Fulaman198:


Yah it's very upsetting that there are people who really choose to go the English, Hebrew name and even Arab name route. I think it's ridiculous really. Although those who go with Arab names do still speak their respective Nigerian/African languages fluently. I just don't get why give up your beautiful African/Nigerian/Black culture up for something that doesn't even fit us. I mean it's a bit ridiculous.

Colonial mentality

Adiwana:
I think nigerian musicians like phyno,morell,ola,flavour,reminsce,davido,wizzy even psquare etc are actually trying in that area..we need more of them

Come where Olamide name they. no tell me say na by force to type everything ooo. na Olamide name suppose top that list

cap28:


No, you are inferior because you look down on yourself, your culture and your language.

What is the big deal about the NObel prize, does it put food on your table?

How many white people read Wole Soyinka's books? Come to think of it how many Nigerians read and understand Wole Soyinka's books?

My post is written in English not because I love to speak the language but because I am a victim of colonialism.

If I had my way English language would be banned in Nigeria and I would overhaul the educational system so that the young ones coming up would start learning to develop pride in being African.

Nice post.

Colonialism is like the black-hole, nothing escapes it. Everybody is a victim. From the presidents to the lowest man on the streets of Africa.

Every African is a victim of colonialism................... Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Wole Soyinka is a big victim as well cause nobody escapes it. While he have won noble lauret awards in '' English literature'' but he have not written a single book in his own Yoruba language, neither will he ever be able to do so. Western education makes him incapacitated, helpless and unable to contribute to the literary development of his own native Yoruba language, even if he wanted. Western education was created for the undervevelopment of Africa. Though the whiteman is no longer in Africa officially to execute colonialism, but by pursuing western model of education in our schools we now act as independent robots sustaining, nurturing and expanding colonialism all by ourselves. Sadly, this was the original purpose the colonialists introduced their system of education to Africa, and incredibly it's perfectly still serving it's purpose many years after the so called independence. It's so sad!.

Read the link on my signature and you'll understand as it relates to science education in Africa. Thank you!.

Parents need to understand that whether they like it or not, their children will speak good English, forcing them to speak English at home will only deprive them understanding their mother tongue.
Imagine a bloody mechanic married to a pepper grinder forcing themselves to speak English that the child will understand with or without their help..... It's really annoying.!!!

All great people use their own culture, languages and religions as a foundation to their nations. IMO, this is the secret on how to build strong nations with a foundation based on who we are, then evolve from it with no discontinuity. For example, Europeans didn't invent writing or gun powder. They just made good use of it using their own languages and integrating them into their own cultures.

We're talking about British, Swedish, French, German, Finnish, Spanish, Russian, Jewish, Japanese, Chinese, Malaysians, South Korans and countless other great nations. All technologically advanced nations. For example, Scandinavian countries are very strong in Research and technology, so are Japanese, Chinese and South Koreans of course. They all use their own languages as languages of instructions and everyday life while learning english as a second language. Their own culture and languages (and indeed religion/history/culture) are the basis of their development. Anything written in english or any languages can be easily translated, it's no biggy, nothing to fear. Every people does that.

ALL (yes, I said ALL), European countries use their own languages as language of instructions and everyday life. They learn English as second language (which is ***very*** important too). Which can be used as a lingua franca in Europe and in Africa.

I love the English language, I truly do!! It's easy to learn as a second language and already has the status of the language of business internationally and has a good position in Nigeria. I hope it maintains that position in Africa and in the world. It's extremely important to learn it as a second language. But the moment, African countries start to use their own languages as languages of instructions, will be the first true step toward the democratization of knowledge and indigenous development. Like Europeans, for example, did with writing and gun powder. Unesco and local research already shown increased ability (grades) in mathematics/other school subjects and children participation in class when local languages are used in pilot projects.

asuustrike2009:

How many can you pronounce forgetting the fact that we are multi lingua. Do you think india's were fools when they choose one language and made it compulsor inspite of their multi languagesy? A country like Nigeria speaking about 350 languages and you expect our local one to stay. Do you think the government was foolish to make English oiur lingua franca.

I don't think this is necessarily saying English as an official language is wrong. With such diversity as ours, It is important to have one language everybody in the country can use in handling official matters and the like, the issue is with the parents refusing to speak their native language to their children and not allowing them to speak it in their homes (although I personally have never heard of or seen this). We have beautiful languages, and we should be proud to express ourselves in our native languages. I have some younger maternal family members that I am MAKING sure will speak that language by fire, by force, because I think it's of utmost importance to save our culture.

kliva6:


I don't think this is necessarily saying English as an official language is wrong. With such diversity as ours, It is important to have one language everybody in the country can use in handling official matters and the like, the issue is with the parents refusing to speak their native language to their children and not allowing them to speak it in their homes (although I personally have never heard of or seen this). We have beautiful languages, and we should be proud to express ourselves in our native languages. I have some younger maternal family members that I am MAKING sure will speak that language by fire, by force, because I think it's of utmost importance to save our culture.

And I would prefer for English to be a second language as well but that's just me.

musicwriter:


Nice post.

Colonialism is like the black-hole, nothing escapes it. Everybody is a victim. From the presidents to the lowest man on the streets of Africa.

Every African is a victim of colonialism................... Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Wole Soyinka is a big victim as well cause nobody escapes it. While he have won noble lauret awards in '' English literature'' but he have not written a single book in his own Yoruba language, neither will he ever be able to do so. Western education makes him incapacitated, helpless and unable to contribute to the literary development of his own native Yoruba language, even if he wanted. Western education was created for the undervevelopment of Africa. Though the whiteman is no longer in Africa officially to execute colonialism, but by pursuing western model of education in our schools we now act as independent robots sustaining, nurturing and expanding colonialism all by ourselves. Sadly, this was the original purpose the colonialists introduced their system of education to Africa, and incredibly it's perfectly still serving it's purpose many years after the so called independence. It's so sad!.

Read the link on my signature and you'll understand as it relates to science education in Africa. Thank you!.

You make a valid point. I remember a conversation with my father about African (Well Nigerian more specifically) authors and I mentioned Wole Soyinka, and he said that he 'writes for Europeans' which I think is more about his writing style than his language choice sha, but I really like the point you made about relying on western standards to create our own, when the criteria by which those standards came about cannot fully apply to us. But what do you mean by Western education was created for the underdevelopment of Africa? i think I understand (and agree) but If you could explain..

kliva6:


You make a valid point. I remember a conversation with my father about African (Well Nigerian more specifically) authors and I mentioned Wole Soyinka, and he said that he 'writes for Europeans' which I think is more about his writing style than his language choice sha, but I really like the point you made about relying on western standards to create our own, when the criteria by which those standards came about cannot fully apply to us. But what do you mean by Western education was created for the underdevelopment of Africa? i think I understand (and agree) but If you could explain..

Before colonialism we did have our own model of education and fully developed rich language all over Africa, like every other place on earth. When the colonialists arrived they destroyed our system of learning including rights to use our language for learning. They instead installed theirs.
Western education started off as a contradiction. As colonialism progressed the colonialists discovered if they could train Africans to handle farm machineries it would mean more yield of farm produce. And as they tried it they discovered harvest did increase. After this success was recorded they then decided to educate few members of the royal families, manly sons of African kings to act as conduits to further espouse colonial policies to their people and communities. Just like having them as PR agents to reach out to their communities telling them how good colonial rule is. These sons of kings were taken to Europe to go to school but when they returned to Africa they were not happy that Europe was more developed than Africa the source of their wealth. More like Niger Deltans after visiting Abuja and seeing how beautiful it is compared to their place are crying injustice in Nigeria.
So, instead of co-operating with the colonialists many of the new educated Africans became rebels and started demanding that more Africans needed to be educated as well. Many years later they also statred the first call for the whiteman to leave Africa. Of course they continued to be silenced for many years. When the colonialists realized education has backfired they were against education of Africans. People like Emir of Kano do have written documents proving how the British, for example said Africans should not be sent to school. Yes, education was originally introduced to aid expoitation of African resources.

This response may not be well articulated but it's just about it. I was sleeping when I saw your question. Read Dr. Walter Rodney's book; How Europe underdeveloped Africa. It's well explaind there towards the end of the book. Good night.

Ishilove:

Colonial mentality

Very true

Fulaman198:


If you believe that speaking traditional languages and being a copycat and selling out your culture to be a wannabe gets you respect, you are dead wrong. The western world don't value people who don't value themselves. If anything this is not evolution, it's devolution.

The Hausa people are proud of their language and culture, thus BBC granted them BBC Hausa. The Fulani people, we are proud of our language and culture, that's why we speak the most widespread language (Pulaar/Fulfulde) in west Africa. People should really stop with the sellout behaviour. Look at GEJ for example. He was being a hard core sellout by bowing down to America, and look at the respect he got back in return.

Just an FYI, western nations do not like or care about African nations. Do start caring about yourselves and your beautiful cultures and stop the bull crap

I think you're getting me wrong.

shakrullah:

Come where Olamide name they. no tell me say na by force to type everything ooo. na Olamide name suppose top that list

you blind ni? You no see ola?ok OLAMIDE!!!

The latest been the fact that if you can speak your language fluently you're ras

If there was something more to classify the word "right" i would have use it, you are right! Most people lack the knowledge that our DNA carries the memories of our grand parents from way past the colonization era (billions and billions of years ago), so there is no blackman alive today that has not experience the effect of slavery, colonization, white supremacy, racism and oppression. it is registered in ourselves, that is why we behave as we do most of which is "FEAR", when in reality or original, the blackman is fearless. They never really gave us independence, or left, they are still in the south of africa and the australia and new zealand and few of our island on coast of africa and the pacific and also the carribeans. The reason why they left africa is west, central africa was the change in the rise of temperature. coming from 1912, the temperature began to rise, by the time of 1955, the humidity was so high with scorching sun that they knew it was to the advantage of africans couple with the end of the 2nd world war (european war 2 actually), that most african fought being decieved and forced and coarsed. However, before they left, they put a stooge who they knew who listen to them. All the tribes of africa never hated or dislike one another, infact we depended on one another, it was the white that used divide and conquer tactics (this had started even long before the first waves of slavery). i stand to be corrected for anybody who knows better.

musicwriter:


Nice post.

Colonialism is like the black-hole, nothing escapes it. Everybody is a victim. From the presidents to the lowest man on the streets of Africa.

Every African is a victim of colonialism................... Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Wole Soyinka is a big victim as well cause nobody escapes it. While he have won noble lauret awards in '' English literature'' but he have not written a single book in his own Yoruba language, neither will he ever be able to do so. Western education makes him incapacitated, helpless and unable to contribute to the literary development of his own native Yoruba language, even if he wanted. Western education was created for the undervevelopment of Africa. Though the whiteman is no longer in Africa officially to execute colonialism, but by pursuing western model of education in our schools we now act as independent robots sustaining, nurturing and expanding colonialism all by ourselves. Sadly, this was the original purpose the colonialists introduced their system of education to Africa, and incredibly it's perfectly still serving it's purpose many years after the so called independence. It's so sad!.

Read the link on my signature and you'll understand as it relates to science education in Africa. Thank you!.

and every owrd comes from image set in the mind, the brain is where the mind resides. If one can't image what he/she thinks, say or learn or teach, nothing would materilize from those effort. but with one's language that one easily understands fully, everywords brings forth a image that can be manufactured or produced with time. Thus one's language needs to be rich in sciences and mathematics. it should be that without necessary pass in english doesn't matter, but a fail in one's own language is a failure to the rest.

AmunRaOlodumare:
All great people use their own culture, languages and religions as a foundation to their nations. IMO, this is the secret on how to build strong nations with a foundation based on who we are, then evolve from it with no discontinuity. For example, Europeans didn't invent writing or gun powder. They just made good use of it using their own languages and integrating them into their own cultures.

We're talking about British, Swedish, French, German, Finnish, Spanish, Russian, Jewish, Japanese, Chinese, Malaysians, South Korans and countless other great nations. All technologically advanced nations. For example, Scandinavian countries are very strong in Research and technology, so are Japanese, Chinese and South Koreans of course. They all use their own languages as languages of instructions and everyday life while learning english as a second language. Their own culture and languages (and indeed religion/history/culture) are the basis of their development. Anything written in english or any languages can be easily translated, it's no biggy, nothing to fear. Every people does that.

ALL (yes, I said ALL), European countries use their own languages as language of instructions and everyday life. They learn English as second language (which is ***very*** important too). Which can be used as a lingua franca in Europe and in Africa.

I love the English language, I truly do!! It's easy to learn as a second language and already has the status of the language of business internationally and has a good position in Nigeria. I hope it maintains that position in Africa and in the world. It's extremely important to learn it as a second language. But the moment, African countries start to use their own languages as languages of instructions, will be the first true step toward the democratization of knowledge and indigenous development. Like Europeans, for example, did with writing and gun powder. Unesco and local research already shown increased ability (grades) in mathematics/other school subjects and children participation in class when local languages are used in pilot projects.

gatiano:
If there was something more to classify the word "right" i would have use it, you are right! Most people lack the knowledge that our DNA carries the memories of our grand parents from way past the colonization era (billions and billions of years ago), so there is no blackman alive today that has not experience the effect of slavery, colonization, white supremacy, racism and oppression. it is registered in ourselves, that is why we behave as we do most of which is "FEAR", when in reality or original, the blackman is fearless. They never really gave us independence, or left, they are still in the south of africa and the australia and new zealand and few of our island on coast of africa and the pacific and also the carribeans. The reason why they left africa is west, central africa was the change in the rise of temperature. coming from 1912, the temperature began to rise, by the time of 1955, the humidity was so high with scorching sun that they knew it was to the advantage of africans couple with the end of the 2nd world war (european war 2 actually), that most african fought being decieved and forced and coarsed. However, before they left, they put a stooge who they knew who listen to them. All the tribes of africa never hated or dislike one another, infact we depended on one another, it was the white that used divide and conquer tactics (this had started even long before the first waves of slavery). i stand to be corrected for anybody who knows better.

You're right bro!.
We lived in peace in Africa before the arrival of whiteman to our shores. War and division among African tribes began as soon as slavery became a business. This happened because in order to buy more slaves, one of the incentives given to African kings was to encourage animousity and war between African communities. By so doing prisoners of wars were captured in their thousands, sold and shipped off across the atlantic like livestocks.

gatiano:
However, before they left, they put a stooge who they knew who listen to them.

This is very true and important to take into account to analyze power balance in Africa. When the colonizers granted independence to African countries they transferred the power to Africans which were already close to the colonial powers (largely urban and western educated, already working for the colonial masters before independence as clerks, functionaries and what else, teachers, christian priests, etc). Even Africans which were protesting to obtain independence were in fact already part of the colonial system, they just wanted to be their own bosses within this colonial-constructed systems. The situation was different in many Asian countries.

African leaders which were too independent like Sankara, Nkrumah, Lumumba, etc were assassinated (and demonized in the press propaganda) with the help of ex-colonial powers and the USA.

The error of those African stooges who took the power (and are still largely in power), is that they wanted to create a second Europe in Africa (which can only turn us into second class citizen), instead of reversing the colonialists destruction of our institutions and culture and then developing our countries by starting by who we are and integrating what is good from outside under our own terms. As I said above this is how great people develop themselves. Europeans didn't invent writing or gun powder but integrated those into their own social systems and cultures. The good news is that it's still "easily" reversible with the willingness and some efforts.

musicwriter:


You're right bro!.
We lived in peace in Africa before the arrival of whiteman to our shores.

There's no need to exaggerate. Basic logic and knowledge of our history dictate that there must have been some conflicts before the arrival of Europeans. But the level of conflicts must not be that high considering the great level of linguistic, ethnic and cultural diversity within small regions of Africa. Even large African Kingdoms, often composed of many ethnic groups, didn't have a hegemonic tendency but instead cultivated, so to say, unity in diversity. Of course this unity also meant to give tributes, pay taxes, offer soldiers when needed, to the King, that is accepting his authority which sometimes could generate conflicts and movements of people.

It would have been fair if the stooges wanted to create a 2nd europe in Africa, has the stooges want to feel themselve or be like their white oppressors, but that is not the case. Before one can understand the stooges, one must first understand the mindset of the europeans.

the europeans or better term, the caucasians are a set of people who are naturally greedy, greed is their first attribute, for them, the fulfillment that one is rich, means some or most must be poor, for the rich to seem healthy looking, the poor must be sick, for them to be educated, most must be an illtrate, otherwise, how can one say he/she is rich, wealthy, healthy, or/and educated if everybody is rich and so on, so there must be some that must make them feel happy,healthy, wealthy etc thus called white supremacy. white can be all good and then it may go down as darker skin it goes.

So now, if our stooges want to be like them, don't you think they have the same mindset immitating their still oppressors? look at the african scenary and surrounding, everybody wants to be better than the next, not for striving for enlightment or development case, rather for self glorification. This was done to us all black people by centuries of oppression by the caucasian race.

in most of my post, i always write the good of blackness which is the truth. black is best, until we begin to realize that, there is nothing we can do until GOD comes, and GOD did not tell us when.

AmunRaOlodumare:

This is very true and important to take into account to analyze power balance in Africa. When the colonizers granted independence to African countries they transferred the power to Africans which were already close to the colonial powers (largely urban and western educated, already working for the colonial masters before independence as clerks, functionaries and what else, teachers, christian priests, etc). Even Africans which were protesting to obtain independence were in fact already part of the colonial system, they just wanted to be their own bosses within this colonial-constructed systems. The situation was different in many Asian countries.

African leaders which were too independent like Sankara, Nkrumah, Lumumba, etc were assassinated (and demonized in the press propaganda) with the help of ex-colonial powers and the USA.

The error of those African stooges who took the power (and are still largely in power), is that they wanted to create a second Europe in Africa (which can only turn us into second class citizen), instead of reversing the colonialists destruction of our institutions and culture and then developing our countries by starting by who we are and integrating what is good from outside under our own terms. As I said above this is how great people develop themselves. Europeans didn't invent writing or gun powder but integrated those into their own social systems and cultures. The good news is that it's still "easily" reversible with the willingness and some efforts.

Fulaman198:


I know what you mean, like the Fulani people in North West (not North East where I'm from) who have forgotten how to speak Fulfulde in favour of Hausa.

Don't u think there's more unity and understanding as the people speak one language there?
That's the biggest reason why Nigeria as a whole is a mistake...when we can't understand what we are saying how can we understand ourselves?

gatiano:
It would have been fair if the stooges wanted to create a 2nd europe in Africa, has the stooges want to feel themselve or be like their white oppressors,

But that's not fair, that's not how Europe developed itself! Europe didn't try to become a 2nd Asia! That way you condemn yourself to be second. Europe and any great people integrated (and still are) what was good from outside into their own cultures and social systems in progression and continuity with the past! For example, as I said above, Europe didn't invent writing or gunpowder but integrated those into their own culture, languages and social systems!