BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
Heyik International School, Kakuri, has emerged winner of the 2025 Language and Cultural Quiz Competition organised by the HYELHIRA Language and Cultural Centre, which used the occasion to urge government at all levels to make the teaching of Nigerian languages compulsory in schools.
The competition, held in Kaduna, saw ECWA Goodnews Schools, High Cost Narayi, clinching the second position, while Government Senior Secondary School, Kargi Tudun Wada, came third.
Founder of the Centre, Dr. Grace Saleh, said the annual event was introduced to rekindle young Nigerians’ interest in their mother tongues and cultural heritage, which she described as the foundation of moral values and national identity.
She expressed concern that many schools across Nigeria have stopped teaching indigenous languages, preferring foreign ones such as French and Arabic a trend she warned could further alienate children from their roots.
“We teach both foreign and local languages, but it is timely that someone does something about the deficit of language and cultural promotion in our schools,” she said.
Dr. Saleh revealed that a recent survey conducted by the Centre found that only two out of sixteen schools interviewed in Kaduna currently teach any Nigerian language a situation she described as “alarming and disappointing.”
According to her, countries that use their native languages as a medium of instruction tend to record faster development because language is not only a tool for communication but also for cultural preservation and innovation.
“In many countries, you cannot even access certain opportunities unless you understand their language. But in Nigeria, we promote foreign languages while neglecting our own. What are we promoting as a nation?” she asked.
The HYELHIRA founder lamented that the neglect of local languages has contributed to moral decline among young people, stressing that “culture defines who we are, and if we abandon it, we lose our moral and social foundation.”
She also faulted the removal of History from the school curriculum, describing it as a setback to cultural awareness and national orientation.
Dr. Saleh therefore called on the Federal Government to make at least one indigenous language compulsory in every state, suggesting that each region adopt a dominant language alongside English for teaching purposes.
“It is not possible to teach all languages, but each state can adopt one or two major local languages. For instance, in Kaduna, a major indigenous language can be introduced. The Yorubas are already using Yoruba to teach some subjects,” she explained
She added that preserving language and culture should begin at home, noting that many parents pay for their children to learn French but fail to speak their own native tongues with them.
“Parents pay teachers to teach their children French, but they don’t teach them their own languages. What legacy are we leaving behind?” she asked.
Dr. Saleh further urged governments, schools, and communities to harness Nigeria’s rich cultural assets as tools for economic empowerment, saying:
“There are no jobs in Nigeria, but we have a lot of cultural assets that can be transformed into wealth. However, our youths cannot harness these opportunities if they don’t understand their roots.”
She congratulated the winners of the competition, commending all participating schools for their enthusiasm and commitment to promoting local languages.
