Professor urges Nigerians to embrace indigenous knowledge, languages

Prof. Sophie Oluwole, the first female doctorate degree holder in philosophy in Nigeria said that it is high time we need to embrace our indigenous knowledge, languages.

She made this remark at the sixth Lagos@50 Colloquium themed 'Language, Education and Development,' held recently at Freedom Park, Lagos.

Oluwole bemoaned the relegation of the country's indigenous languages to the background, saying the neglect accounts for the stunted growth and underdevelopment all over Africa.

Oluwole pointed out that China, Japan and Russia never reinvented the wheel, but have developed to a very high level by combining western education with deep knowledge of indigenous medicine, social science and so on, that lies in their indigenous culture. She noted that these nations teach all subjects and disciplines, including science, in their own languages. The Guardian reported.

"Today, each has developed economically and materially, manufacturing machines, including ones that take them to space", she noted.

Participants at the event observed that indigenous languages in the country are dying along with the cultures they transmit.

They, therefore, called on the Federal Government to preserve Nigeria's vast cultures and knowledge systems by promoting the use of indigenous languages. The Guardian Nigeria reported.

You can read more on The Guardian.

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