By Fátọ́lá Abdullahi...

Sequel to an article compiled on his blog far back year 2013 by the author of this article, unleashing the benefits of sustaining our indigenous languages here in Nigeria, adopting Yorùbá as case study, there, the author regretted being unable to compile the softcopy of the article using his mother tongue but today we are glad to inform the readers of this blog that apps and softwares had been available for a while to write in Igbo, Hausa and Yorùbá languages.

Readers of this article should kindly accept the Yorùbá translation of this write up below. However, It would be interesting to have others who can compile this article in Hausa and Igbo languages to get in touch with the writer for their language versions.

English language is meant to be in sync with the other three officially recognized  indigenous languages in Nigeria but it is quite very unfortunate that the language introduced by our colonial Masters has now been priotized and given too much value at the expense of our mother tongues.

China has seven main dialects comprising of Mandarin (官話), Cantonese (廣州話, 廣府話), Hakka (客家話), Wu (吳語), Min (閩語), Xiang (湘語), and Gan (贛語) and today China is competing with United State of America as second world largest economy to become the largest economy in the World without ignoring their dialects in the course.

The indigenous Language discrimination in Nigeria is the major Challenge we face in communication and learning as many prefer the vast dominating English language to their mother tongue instead of utilizing them simultaneously. To worsen the situation, we have been brainwashed to regard persons who speak their mother tongues as the  illiterare ones.

The root-cause of the discrimination begins right from our various homes. Until parents start to encourage their offsprings to express themselves in their mother tongue, write and read it, it’s then the downsizing of our indigenous languages in our society will come to a halt. Igbo, Hausa and Yorùbá language demand encouragement and synchronization with English language by necessary authorities in schools, tertiary institution and in our society at large.

In the Nigeria are the educated and uneducated ones. Among them are creative, innovative and talented minds, if given the privilege to showcase their natural endowments, they will perform excellently using their various languages to as medium of communication and instructions.

On this note, this piece was written to make us realise the positive and progressive impacts our major languages can have on our economy by establishing a conducive and sustainable standard of living for the compatriots in Nigeria.

YORÙBÁ TRANSLATION

Látọ̀dọ Fátọ́lá Abdullahi...

Gẹ́gẹ́ bí óṣe wà nínu àròkọ tí Ònkòwé yìí fiṣọwọ́ sóri ayélujára nínu búlọ́ọ̀gì yí ní ọdún mẹ́ta sẹ́yìn, lórí àwọn ànfàní tówà nínu ká fọwọ́sowọ́pọ̀ kí èdè abínibí wa mábaà di ohun ìgbàgbé, nínú àròkọ náà, ó jẹ́ ohun ìkẹ́dùn fún ẹnitókọ àròkọ náà wípé kòsí ẹ̀rọ tó ṣeé kọ àròkọ náà ní èdè abínibí rẹ̀ tójẹ́ Yorùbá. Lénìí, ó jẹ́ ìdùnú fúnwa láti sọfún àwọn olùkàwé búlọ́ọ̀gì yí pé àwọn ẹ̀rọ wọ̀nyí tí wà fún kíkọ àti kíkà ní èdè abínibí wa lóri ẹ̀rọọ̀bánisọ̀rọ̀ ni Hawúsá, Yíbò àti Yorùbá.

Èyí ló mú kí á tú àròkọ yìí sí èdè Yorùbá láti èdè gẹ̀ẹ́sì, aṣì tún fi àsìkò yí rọ àwọn tí ó nka àròkọ yìí láti báwa gba èdè Yorùbá tí a tú sí yí. Inú wa á dùn púpọ̀ láti rí àwọn elédè Hawúsá àti Yíbò tí wọ́n lè pẹ̀lú Ònkòwé yìí látikọ àròkọ yìí ní èdè abínibí oníkálùkú.

Èdè abínibí mẹ́tẹ̀ẹ̀ta ti wọ́n fi òntẹ̀lù ní orílè̀èdè wa yẹ kójẹ́ lílò gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ṣé ńlo èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì ṣùgbọ́n ó jẹ ọ̀gbẹọkàn fún wa pé ìràwọ̀ èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì yìí ti bo àwọn èdè abínibí wa mọ́lẹ̀.

Orílẹ̀èdè àwọn ṣinkó tí amò sí "China" ní Gẹ̀ẹ́sì, ńfigagbága pẹ̀lu Amẹ́ríkà láti du ípò orílẹ̀èdè àkọ́kọ́ tí ọrọ̀ajé rẹ̀ dántọ́ jùlọ lágbàyé. Èyí ṣeéṣe fún wọn nítorí pé wọn ò fi èdè abínibí méjèèje tí ìlú wọn fòntẹ̀lù ṣeré níbi ìdàgbàsókè ọròajé wọn.

Àìka èdè abínibí wa kún jẹ́ ìpèníjà tí à nkọjú ní orílẹ̀èdè wa, ó ṣì tijẹ́ kí á mú èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì lọ́kùnkúndùn ní sísọ àti kíkọ ju èdè tiwa lọ. Èyí tó ṣeni ní kàyéfì jùlọ ní kíka àwọn tó ńsọ èdè abínibí wọn ní ẹnitíòkàwé.

Ohun tí ó nṣe okùnfà wàhálà yìí bẹ̀rẹ̀ láti ilé ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan wa. Ó digbà tí àwọn òbí wa bá ntọ́ ọmọ wọn láti máa sọ, kà àti kọ èdè abínibí wọn láti kékeré tí wọ́n máa fi dàgbà ni èdè wa átó rí ìgbélárugẹ. Àwọn iléẹ̀kọ́ gíga ati kékeré pẹ̀lú àwùjọ wa lápapọ̀ gbọdọ̀ mú èdè wa ni pàtàkì bíi ti Gẹ̀ẹ́sì.

Láwùjọ wa, àní àwọn tó kàwé àti àwọn tí kòkà rárá. Lára àwọn wọ̀nyìí ní oríṣìíríṣìí ẹ̀bùn tólè ran ọrọ̀ajé wa lọ́wọ́ tí wọ́n bá fún wọn lánfàní láti ṣe àgbékalẹ̀ ohun tí wọ́n mọ̀ pẹ̀lú èdè abínibí wọn.

À nfi àkókò yìí pàrọwà fún gbogbo ọmọ orílẹ̀èdè Nàìjíríà pé èdè abínibí ní ipa pàtàkì tó máa kó lára ọrọ̀ajé wa ati ìdàgbàsókè ìlú wa pèlú àwọn olùgbé rẹ̀.

SOURCE:
https://ibadanelite./2016/04/27/ede-abinibi-wa-tosi-igbelaruge-dialects-worth-being-valued-like-english/