ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
Home Literary Review

PEN Nigeria unites to promotes mother tongue

5th October 2018
in Literary Review
0
PEN
6
SHARES
293
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Damiete Braide

PEN Nigerian joined the rest of the world to celebrate the annual International Literacy Day recently, with an event at CORA House, 12 Animashaun Street, off Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos.

Those in attendance included writers, journalists and students. Some of the writers used the occasion to read their poems, while Akeem Lasisi, poet and journalist thrilled the audience with his performance entitled “Udeme”.

AJ Dagga Tolar, former Lagos State Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), set the ball rolling by reading his poem, “Dis Sick Republic”, emphasising on language as the bedrock of every society. His second poem was “With Love” dedicated to the late Dele Giwa. His third poem, “Royal Dinner” was equally dedicated to the late business mogul, Chief M.K.O Abiola.

READ ALSO: Asadu wins PDP’s Nsukka/Igboeze South Rep ticket

The programme was moderated by Ralph Tathagata, poet and writer, while speakers included Adewale Maja-Pearce, Olayinka Oyegbile and Akeem Lasisi, who spoke on how Nigerians had ignored the importance of their mother tongue.
In his address of welcome, President, Pen Nigeria, Folu Agoi remarked the word “writer” was used by PEN International as an umbrella term for anyone involved with the word, which could either be written or spoken.

“The individual can be a poet, playwright, novelist, publisher, journalist, academic, translator, biographer, editor, etcetera,” he said. Maja-Pearce noted that, as long as Nigerians did not embrace and enforce indigenous languages in schools and religious institutions, illiteracy would continue to be on the high side.

“The quality of education in Nigeria is a very emotional thing, and that is what is happening now. How can you say you are educated when you cannot speak or write in your mother tongue?” he queried.

Next to speak was Oyegbile, who noted that most parents had lost value for indigenous languages. Which explained why literacy skills had dropped in the country, but “language is very important. He recalled reading the late F.O Fagunwa’s books in Yoruba language at a tender age, which made him to speak his mother’s tongue well, even before he attended primary school.

READ ALSO: Lagos Open Tennis: Oladunjoye charges foreign embassies to support

He urged Nigerians to begin to teach themselves their indigenous languages, and they shouldn’t complain that one tribe or region seemed to be dominating other regions because that region was proud of their language.

Lasisi, on his part, observed that government’s policy could also bring a turn-around in the country. People should be encouraged to learn and speak their local languages. The poet urged the government to implement policies that can bring a turn-around in the country in the belief that it was important for people to learn and speak their mother tongue.

At the end of the discussion, it was agreed that Nigerians should use their mother tongue in their close interactions. Nigerians must deliberately use their local languages in their daily conversations.

 

Tags: association of nigerian authorsindigenous languagesLagos State Chairman
Segun Adio

Segun Adio

Related Posts

My muse is African –Olalekan Ajayi
Literary Review

My muse is African –Olalekan Ajayi

6th March 2021
Travails of a Good Samaritan 
Arts

Travails of a Good Samaritan 

5th March 2021
Stellar achievements by Stella Smith
Arts

Stellar achievements by Stella Smith

5th March 2021
Next Post
COUP

Truth about 1966 coup

STORYTELLER

The storyteller as a teacher: Restoring bartered complexes in society

SHARIBU

Leah's release: Fake news killing me - Sharibu, Leah's father

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

Boko Haram: Army trains 67 wounded soldiers on computer, CCTV repairs

Jigawa APC clinches Saturday’s assembly bye election

Police arrest 4 suspected “one-chance” operators in Abuja

NARICT DG dismiss petition on corruption, threaten court action against Network for Justice

Abia: Gunmen abduct businessman

Ogun: My administration targets delivery of 2,000 housing units – Abiodun

Trending

Kwara govt reclaims Ile Arugbo land as Court strikes out Saraki’s case
National

Edu APC stakeholders condemn alleged takeover of assault case by Kwara government

7th March 2021
0

From LAYI OLANREWAJU,Ilorin The stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress party (APC) in Edu Local Government Area...

Anambra philanthropist donates 2-bedroom bungalow to widow

Anambra philanthropist donates 2-bedroom bungalow to widow

7th March 2021
Northern group demands immediate release of Katsina-born activist, Mahdi Shehu

Northern group demands immediate release of Katsina-born activist, Mahdi Shehu

7th March 2021
Boko Haram: Army trains 67 wounded soldiers on computer, CCTV repairs

Boko Haram: Army trains 67 wounded soldiers on computer, CCTV repairs

7th March 2021
APC

Jigawa APC clinches Saturday’s assembly bye election

7th March 2021

Follow us on social media:

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist