99% of the tribalists here on NL are proficient in only one of the three major Nigerian languages, Hausa, Yoruba, or Ibo. One of the factors responsible for tribalism is ignorance and a lack of understanding. Learning a language, other than ones own mother's tongue gives one another tool with which to build understanding and essential knowledge base.

I would actually require that if you are from the Northern region, you must be required to take courses in Yoruba or Ibo, and if you are from the South, Hausa courses must be required; at the secondary school level. I'd implement this nation wide.

To graduate from a Nigerian University, if you are a foreigner, you must be proficient in one of our three major languages, while language proficiency for Nigerians would be based on the region you are from. Thus, tribalists like Onlytruth would be required to be proficient in Hausa or Yoruba, an act which would do wonders to his sensitivities.

This simple act would transform Nigeria for good in a matter of 5 years and reduce tribalism and fake separatism.

Useless waste of time.

Improvement in English proficiency makes more sense...that way you are able to communicate with other Nigerians, but also others in the world.

And Onlytruth is proficient in at least Hausa, iirc.

It honestly doesn't matter...if one is a separatist, speaking every language in Nigeria won't help

Many, if not most Nigerian kids born in major urban areas in the last 20-15 years are not even proficient in their own local Nigerian languages. Talkless of picking up a new Nigerian one.

Let us master our regional languages first, Nigerian unity is great but language won't guarantee it. Enforcing Justice and egalitarian principles will do that faster. Like Ekt_bear said, separatist won't budge even if they speak your language. Nice call though.



I'll go slightly off-topic:


Ekt_bear you need to improve on your Yoruba o. You already speak good English. We don't want you to totally miss out on the advantages it brings. Especially if you want to do business with us

It's good to be proficient in English, better to master your own regional language too. It's an advantage, the emotional connection you have to a mother tongue is a great leverage when learning.

Language and culture are important vehicles for learning and development. The Ancestors of the current masters of the world - Anglos where not stupid to translate foreign knowledge, scripts, wisdom and science into their own mother tongue. Latin gained from Greek by translating it into a language they can easily understand and relate to and later they benefitted from Byzantine and Arabic works which they translated back into Latin and later English. Point is they put knowledge in the hands of more of their people - both brainiacs and regular folks..

All these may not matter to someone already versed in the English language, but if your goal is macro in nature, and you want more of your people englightened, then it makes sense to meet them at their language comfort zone. We really need gifted translators. There must be a way to explain the theory of relativity or teach calculus in Yoruba or Igbo.

If the Chinese and Japanese can do it, then we can.

At some point if/when I have the chance to spend 3-4 months or so in Nigeria, i'll use that time to become fluent.

But for now I have some other things that must be accomplished first...

Kilode?!:


It's good to be proficient in English, better to master your own regional language too. It's an advantage, the emotional connection you have to a mother tongue is a great leverage when learning.

Given what you wrote above, you should be in support of requiring proficiency in at least 1 major language before graduating from any Nigerian university, no?.

^

I definitely support that sir. But regional first. Then we leave the rest to competition, human nature and individual needs and taste.

ekt_bear: At some point if/when I have the chance to spend 3-4 months or so in Nigeria, i'll use that time to become fluent.

But for now I have some other things that must be accomplished first...

Good enough.

Tbh proficiency in mathematics is going to be far more useful in the long run for the welfare of SW Nigeria than learning another Nigerian language.

Better to focus a child's precious hours on math and science than say Hausa, in my opinion.

You'll be more competitive in this rapidly globalizing world that way.

Speaking one indigenous language + English is good enough for most

ekt_bear: Tbh proficiency in mathematics is going to be far more useful in the long run to the welfare of SW Nigeria than learning another Nigerian language.

Better to focus a child's precious hours on math and science than say Hausa, in my opinion.

You'll be more competitive in this rapidly globalizing world that way.

Speaking one indigenous language + English is good enough for most

Most, meaning uncle toms and aunt tomasinas like yourself, huh? Guys like you make me want to puke.

ekt_bear: Tbh proficiency in mathematics is going to be far more useful in the long run for the welfare of SW Nigeria than learning another Nigerian language.

Better to focus a child's precious hours on math and science than say Hausa, in my opinion.

You'll be more competitive in this rapidly globalizing world that way.

Speaking one indigenous language + English is good enough for most

Sad, it is good to learn languages in Nigeria since it is not just your indigenous language people you see all the time.

A man that knows Yoruba and Igbo language is much more expose than a man that just know Igbo or just Yoruba.

You might not be perfect in the other language but at least you understand it when they speak it.

Right. But the trade-off is not Yoruba+Igbo versus just Yoruba alone.

It is Yoruba + being good at enough at math so that physics is not challenging for you. So that you can fulfill your dream of being a medical doctor by doing well in your pre-med requirements (ok, not quite sure if physics is mandatory to become a doctor in naija, but you get the idea.)

Or fulfill your dream of being an engineer, scientist, etc.

Basically, there are a limited number of hours a student has during primary and secondary school. You need to make those hours count.

ndu_chucks: 99% of the tribalists here on NL are proficient in only one of the three major Nigerian languages, Hausa, Yoruba, or Ibo. One of the factors responsible for tribalism is ignorance and a lack of understanding. Learning a language, other than ones own mother's tongue gives one another tool with which to build understanding and essential knowledge base.

I would actually require that if you are from the Northern region, you must be required to take courses in Yoruba or Ibo, and if you are from the South, Hausa courses must be required; at the secondary school level. I'd implement this nation wide.

To graduate from a Nigerian University, if you are a foreigner, you must be proficient in one of our three major languages, while language proficiency for Nigerians would be based on the region you are from. Thus, tribalists like Onlytruth would be required to be proficient in Hausa or Yoruba, an act which would do wonders to his sensitivities.

This simple act would transform Nigeria for good in a matter of 5 years and reduce tribalism and fake separatism.

You think say you get sense abi? Why should the whole south learn hausa and the north will learn Igbo or Yoruba? Though i like the concept. people should instead be made to be able to speak at least two Nigerian languages apart from their own. It will go a long way in fostering the unity that we've been preaching. That's why you notice that multi lingual people are usually more liberal and less tribalisitc like people that have never left there villages.

ekt_bear: Right. But the trade-off is not Yoruba+Igbo versus just Yoruba alone.

It is Yoruba + being good at enough at math so that physics is not challenging for you. So that you can fulfill your dream of being a medical doctor by doing well in your pre-med requirements (ok, not quite sure if physics is mandatory to become a doctor in naija, but you get the idea.)

Or fulfill your dream of being an engineer, scientist, etc.

Basically, there are a limited number of hours a student has during primary and secondary school. You need to make those hours count.

My friend dapo, I think it is about exposure. Yes you are right but also it would not take you anything to learn from others as well.

I mean, in principle this is an English speaking country. Between that and pidgin, most people are able to communicate with each other well.

So communication right now is not an issue, is it?

This is just another one of those time-wasting fake unity building exercises.

I don't like when people with political agendas meddle in something as important as education...proposals like this tend to be the end result.

And then you get an education system that doesn't prepare kids for the challenges they will face, competing in this world..

Education is another one of those things that needs to be purely federalized.

Let every state chart its own education agenda.

If you want your children to waste their time learning 5 or even 10 different Nigerian languages, so be it. Just don't be surprised when said children are unemployable and do poorly on JAMB, WAEC and other standardized exams...