Nigerian musician and cultural advocate Charles Onyeabor has sparked a thought-provoking dialogue on the importance of indigenous languages in Africa.
He challenges the widespread perception that proficiency in English is a measure of intelligence, stressing the significance of Africans embracing their native languages as an important a part of their cultural id.
In his assertion, Onyeabor criticized the societal bias that prioritizes English fluency over cultural heritage, urging Africans to take pleasure of their linguistic roots.
Onyeabor acknowledged: “Good English is just not a mark of intelligence; it’s a mark of linguistic capability. We Africans had been programmed to consider that the extra you communicate higher English, it then means you might be clever.
“I do know quite a lot of flawless English-speaking guys and ladies who aren’t as sensible as a goat sef. Try to be ashamed of your self if you’re Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, or another tribe, and you might be unable to talk your native languages fluently however would fairly communicate one other nation’s language.”
He additional underscored the significance of valuing indigenous languages, stating: “Don’t get me fallacious; it’s good to talk different languages, however don’t make it appear to be your native language isn’t value something. It’s your id. Go to France; they don’t give a rattling about English or another language. Even Italians don’t care about another language however theirs.”
Onyeabor additionally highlighted the irony in how Africans understand language proficiency, declaring that whereas foreigners are praised for trying to talk native languages, Africans are sometimes ridiculed for not talking English completely.
“However in Nigeria, you’ll hear folks say issues like, ‘He/she will’t even communicate good English,’ which is a approach to insult folks. I believe it needs to be the opposite means spherical; folks ought to begin saying issues like, ‘You possibly can’t even communicate your language,’ and never insult or abuse anybody who can’t communicate one other particular person’s language.”
