The most embarrassing and humiliating thing that I experience, every time I meet a fellow African in a foreign land is our inability to communicate with each other in one language we can call our own. And this is not confined to meeting in foreign countries, but in Africa too. So when I meet a Nigerian, we have to speak in English, our colonial masters' language. And if I meet a Senegalese, we have to use French!

It is interesting to note that when you travel to a foreign country, you are expected to learn the language of that country. For example, I now speak Arabic, Hebrew and Greek because I spent some time in Egypt, Greece and Israel. While in those countries, I spent two hours every morning in a class being taught the languages, which I no longer use anyway. And this is the same if you travel to Germany. China, Japan, Germany, Russia etc. But not in Africa.

In Africa all you need to know are English or French. What is even more embarrassing is the behaviour of our leaders. They speak to us in these languages every day, and take pride in their ability to speak with a Cambridge of Oxford accent!

I maintain that we in Africa, have a language of our own, and that is Kiswahili. It is already being spoken in many countries. These are Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. The presidents of these countries all all speak Kiswahili. To some extent, Kiswahili is spoken in Mozambique, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, and as far as South Africa and Egypt.

It is encouraging to note that there are many universities in many countries which offer Kiswahili. Kiswahili could be made an examinable subject in African schools, just like English, French Japanese, Latin. Spanish etc. It is already one of the official languages of the African Union. It does not belong to any particular tribe or community in Africa, since it started as a business and trade language.

Good luck with that. By the way, I am not pro-Pan-Africanism.

You are entitrled to your opinions

I don't mind entertaining Pan-Africanists for a bit though. . 

So, permit me to ask:
For what other reasons (besides avoidance of European languages) should Kiswahili be adopted by all of continental Africa?

Kiswahili is predominantly spoken in Tanzania and Kenya. Not everyone in Uganda, Burundi Rwanda speaks Kiswahili though it is largely spoken. Somalis speak Somali, Zimbabweans speak Ndebele, Ethiopians speak Ahmaric. You can not fool us poster.
Kiswahili is not an indigenous African language. It is an admixture of Arabic and some coastal languages of East Africa especially Zanzibar.
How about Indigenous African languages like the Igbo, Yoruba and Zulu.

kiswahili is also spoken in cameroun,zambia and gabon.it is the most popular and widely spoken african language.

I did not know it is spoken in Cameroun, among others, but I have met many Ghanaians, Nigerians wgo speak the language.

Andre, Kiswahili is not Arabic ibn origin. True, there are many Arabic words, but there are many Indian, German, Portuguese and Bantu words as well. For example, pesa meaning cash is from peseta in Portuguese, as is hela, also meaning money which is from thaler, a German word. The word desturi for habit, or gari for car are from India. And there are man other examples. Ndovu for elephant is common among all Bantus from East to South Africa, with sliught variation in dialects.

As I said earlier, it started as a form of communication in transacting business among many nations. Easst Africa has been conducting business with the East and the Middle East for centuries. Ugandans speak Kiswahili, but they do not like it because they claim it is the language of the soldiers. The Baganda do not like the soldiers, read Museveni who is fluent in the language.

Ethiopians speak Amharic yes, but there are many Swahili speakers, as there are i9n Zimbabwe etc. You will find Chinese who speak Kiswahili fliently, but they also speak Mandarin or Cantonese

EDIT :: I was mistaking.

Kiswahili is a national language of Kenya and Tanzania and to a lesser extent in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
@LIPUKA: In all those places you mentioned, people there learn it to be able to speak it.
Once again Kiswahilli can not be adopted as Africa's main language. Thanks.

Why not, it would be better than speaking English, at least it would encourage some 'African pride'. Start the teaching immediately!

ezeagu:

Why not, it would be better than speaking English, at least it would encourage some 'African pride'. Start the teaching immediately!

Do all europians speak the same language

What exactly is "African Pride"?
Anyway, the intense diversity of Africa will not facilitate such a thing.

asha 80:

Do all europians speak the same language 

Well you're not a European yet you're speaking one of the languages that half of the continent speaks. PLus there's a reason why one language is not necessary for the whole of Europe, as opposed to Africa:

ChinenyeN:

What exactly is "African Pride"?
Anyway, the intense diversity of Africa will not facilitate such a thing.

Pride in being African. Diversity hasn't got anything to do with it, aren't most Africans speaking either English or French anyway?

I wasn't just speaking of linguistic diversity. I was also speaking about diversity of identity. The simple fact is that each African group generally does not see themselves as synonymous with other groups. Most Africans speak either French or English, but that still has not eliminated sentiments, and loyalty to local identities. "African Pride" is a long way from coming.

I think West Africa should stick to Pidgin English which is a modified version of the english language diluted with several African langugates . Its seems a more appropriate lingua franca across the english speaking regions. I don't see a gambian electing to speak kiswahili which like pidgin originates in east Africa and healily swayed already with Arabic.

The East Africans can keep Kiswahili for their confederation. I vote pidgin anyday,

morpheus24:

I think West Africa should stick to Pidgin English which is a modified version of the english language diluted with several African langugates . Its seems a more appropriate lingua franca across the english speaking regions. I don't see a gambian electing to speak kiswahili which like pidgin originates in east Africa  and healily swayed already with Arabic.

The East Africans can keep Kiswahili for their confederation.  I vote pidgin anyday,

This is much more understandable, and agreeable, in my opinion.

I am aware of pidgin English spoken in Wedt Africa. But ot is not as widely spoken as Kiiswahili. Andre, you forgot Comoros. But Kiswahili is used by many because it is still abusiness language. Most countries rely on Kenya and Tanzania for their goods, especially those coming from the Middle East or the East. In Ethiopia, the majority people are Oromos, who were instrumental in removing Mengistu. Mengistu tried to impose Amharic, which is a minority language. In Nigeria many would object to Johnathan imposing his language as he comes from a minority tribe. Kiswahili is still growing. It is the politicians who do not want one language because they want to exploit their people

lipuka:

It is the politicians who do not want one language because they want to exploit their people

And you think the people want it?

So why be against Swahili if you are aware of the sentiments hindering African unity? There are little to no African countries with African languages as official languages, if these countries are so unorganized or unprogressive enough to make one of their languages official, like the United Kingdom, why not bring another African language that millions of people already speak, instead of English. I really don't understand what the arguments against Swahili is, is it that English is a superior language?

ezeagu:

So why be against Swahili if you are aware of the sentiments hindering African unity? There are little to no African countries with African languages as official languages, if these countries are so unorganized or unprogressive enough to make one of their languages official, like the United Kingdom, why not bring another African language that millions of people already speak, instead of English. I really don't understand what the arguments against Swahili is, is it that English is a superior language?

Ezeagu if i may ask what is the official language of switzerland?i have a reason for this question.

Ezeagu, why should I be for it? My loyalty and sentiments are not towards Africa, and 'African Unity' is not of importance to me, in any way. So, the argument against Swahili is pretty simple. I (or We, if there are others who share my opinion) simply don't care for it, and I (or we) see no reason why I (or we) should.

What excatly is the point of adopting Swahili, though? Is it to create one African country?

asha 80:

Ezeagu if i may ask what is the official language of switzerland?i have a reason for this question.

German, French, Italian.

ChinenyeN:

Ezeagu, why should I be for it? My loyalty and sentiments are not towards Africa, and 'African Unity' is not of importance to me, in any way. So, the argument against Swahili is pretty simple. I (or We, if there are others who share my opinion) simply don't care for it, and I (or we) see no reason why I (or we) should.

What excatly is the point of adopting Swahili, though? Is it to create one African country?

Where do your loyalties and sentiments lie? Are you not African?

Swahili is in place of English, so that in official matters e.g official language of a country that doesn't have an official African language.

My loyalty and sentiments don't lie in Africa. They lie in my locality. As for it taking the place of English, I'd don't really care. It doesn't really matter to me what takes the place of English. My only issue is with the end game. What exactly do pro-Swahili people wish to achieve, in the end?

If you are African, you should be proud of being African. Africa is bigger than an individual, so for myou to say your loyalty is to your locality shows how narrow-minded you are

ezeagu:

German, French, Italian.

Where do your loyalties and sentiments lie? Are you not African?

Swahili is in place of English, so that in official matters e.g official language of a country that doesn't have an official African language.

How come they did not adopt a single language as their national language.

Look the issue still boils down to the mish mash countries in africa.In a seperate yoruba country that comprises of lagos,ondo,ogun,oyo,ekiti and osun don't u think it would be easy to make yoruba as the national language which is african?

Oh, I see,  so because I want to take care of those whom I identify with most, and because pan-Africanism is not a priority for me, I'm narrow-minded? Wow, thank you for enlightening me.

Nonsense.

And by the way, I am very proud of being African (don't know why you or anyone else would think otherwise), BUT I'm very much prouder to be from my locality, and I do not see my identity as synonymous with that of yours or any other. It's that simple.

And in case you didn't know. . . calling me narrow-minded doesn't help further your cause. If anything, I'm less likely to accept you and/or the cause. So, since your presenting your case to me (as well as others), I recommend that you refrain from attempting to insult or defame my, or anyone else's character.

I'm still willing to hear you pan-Africanists out, though. . .

asha 80:

How come they did not adopt a single language as their national language.

That has nothing to add to the discussion because African countries actually 'chose' a national language, which wasn't any of theirs!

asha 80:

Look the issue still boils down to the mish mash countries in africa.In a seperate yoruba country that comprises of lagos,ondo,ogun,oyo,ekiti and osun don't u think it would be easy to make yoruba as the national language which is african?

Yes, but here's the point, there is no separate Yoruba state.

ChinenyeN:

My loyalty and sentiments don't lie in Africa. They lie in my locality. As for it taking the place of English, I'd don't really care. It doesn't really matter to me what takes the place of English. My only issue is with the end game. What exactly do pro-Swahili people wish to achieve, in the end?

For Swahili to end up as the main language of Africa, as opposed to English, French, Portuguese, etc. And your sentiments should lie in Africa because when Africa is threatened your community will also be threatened, every other continent support each other but Africa.

I'm learning Swahili before I die. Hope to God I get to live long enough.

Yeah, to be honest I do wish we'd all speak thesame language.

And if Africa was seriously under attack, guess where my (as well as many others') focus, loyalty, and sentiment would be. . . my (or in others' cases, their) own people; not Africa. Try a different argument.

There's no real reason why the whole continent should speak one language, let alone it being Swahili.

ChinenyeN:

And if Africa was seriously under attack, guess where my (as well as many others') focus, loyalty, and sentiment would be. . . my (or in others' cases, their) own people; not Africa. Try a different argument.

Ah well, those are same reasons Europe is the most richest and economically stable continents in the world, do you think a European would say the same? Africans cannot support each other because they can't see that they would actually be relevant on this earth (apart from their resources) if they stuck together and built themselves up, like every successful continent has, even when they do not 'like' each other.

ChinenyeN:

There's no real reason why the whole continent should speak one language, let alone it being Swahili.

So you mean when Africans need to understand themselves at home and abroad with one powerful language and pass on a legacy onto their children that links them back to their homeland wherever they are like Mandarin, there is no need for them to speak one language?

ezeagu:

Ah well, those are same reasons Europe is the most richest and economically stable continents in the world, do you think a European would say the same? Africans cannot support each other because they can't see that they would actually be relevant on this earth (apart from their resources) if they stuck together and built themselves up, like every successful continent has, even when they do not 'like' each other.

What makes you think that I (or Africans) cannot cooperate with other Africans just because my loyalty lies with my people (or in other Africans' cases, their people)?

ezeagu:

So you mean when Africans need to understand themselves at home and abroad with one powerful language and pass on a legacy onto their children that links them back to their homeland wherever they are like Mandarin, there is no need for them to speak one language?

What legacy? Just because we all come from Africa does not make us all the same. People are born of the same mother, but not of the same Chi. Simple. There is no African legacy. Try a different argument.

ChinenyeN:

Just because we all come from Africa does not make us all the same.

Well in the eyes of the world and many Africans you are. You will be treated the exact same way someone from the Congo would. People are born of the same mother but different, yes, but they are still family.

ChinenyeN:

What makes you think that I (or Africans) cannot cooperate with other Africans just because my loyalty lies with my people (or in other Africans' cases, their people)?

ChinenyeN:

My loyalty and sentiments don't lie in Africa. They lie in my locality.

With the state Africa is in now, it isn't advisable fro Africans to stick loyalty only to their locality, only a European country like Switzerland has choice to do that.