Royal father wants compulsory teaching of Yoruba in schools
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By Sola AJIBIKE (Abeokuta)
NIGERIA: THE Olu of Igbeinland, an Egba settlement, in Ogun State, Oba Festus Oluwole Makinde, has suggested a way to ensure Yoruba language does not go into extinction.
Oba Makinde said that all efforts should be made to encourage, and made compulsory, the learning of Yoruba in schools.
The traditional ruler said this Friday at the World Indigenous Day Programme of Fad Maestro School, Orile Igbein, off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Obafemi-Owode Local Government area of Ogun State.
Oba Makinde, who spoke on the theme, “Cultural values, be it on language, indigenous food and values,” said that it was high time to stress the significance of the language, which is almost being jettison in day to day communication.
The royal father emphasised that Yoruba remained the best language all over the world, adding that its uniqueness cannot be wished away, which informed the need for schools to accord it the deserved attention.
He further stressed that Yoruba was a language which teaches moral behaviours in all ramifications.
Oba Makinde maintained that it had become common knowledge now that even foreigners come around from overseas to study Yoruba language because of its significance.
The Olu Igbein, who stressed so much on culture, said that Yoruba people have rich culture, which has become reference point globally.
The monarch charged students to be committed to sustaining Yoruba cultural values because of the benefits.
Earlier, the proprietress of the schools, Deaconess Funke Fadugba, said that the school management was always cautious on the significance of Yoruba language.
Fadugba said that it had been made mandatory in the college to teach Yoruba language based on the need to bring it back to limelight as the case some years ago.
While saying that the school often encourages parents to speak Yoruba to their children at home, she explained that such does not discourage pupils from their academic activities.
In his remarks, the Founder of Penpushing, a social media platform, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, said that investigation had shown that students who were fluent in Yoruba language will always maintained best positions in foreign languages and in their academics.
Kayode-Adedeji, a one-time Zonal Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said that series of researches had affirmed this submission.
According to him, from the researchers conducted it was discovered that anyone who speaks indigenous language will perform well in other areas of academics in schools.
Also speaking, an advocacy expert, Omobabirin Jumoke Owoola, who spoke on nutrition, said that most of Yoruba local foods and fruits were both nutritional and medicinal.
Owoola, however, regretted that the foreigners, who Yoruba allowed to rubbish their local items in preference for theirs, have turned around to re-orientate them (Yoruba people) to have faith in their foods.
At the event, students of the school read Yoruba books within 60 minutes and entertained guardians, who were not left out of the educative and colourful ceremony, with Yoruba cultural displays.
Similarly, prizes were distributed to pupils for their various outstanding performances in academic and cultural excellence on the occasion.
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