Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has emphasised the importance of promoting Nigeria’s indigenous languages and cultural heritage as a catalyst for national development.
Soyinka made this assertion on Monday while responding to questions from journalists following his visit to the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts at the University of Ilorin. The visit formed part of the activities marking the institution’s inaugural Cultural Week.
He remarked that language serves as a repository of a people’s identity and history, stressing the need to encourage younger generations to understand and speak their ancestral tongues.
“Language is a beautiful tool for expression,” Soyinka noted. “The most recent census revealed that Nigeria is home to over 300 languages.
“While it is necessary to learn globally recognised foreign languages to advance personal and national development, this should not come at the expense of our indigenous languages.
“We must strive to read, write, innovate and conduct research in our local languages even before thinking or composing in others, if we are to make meaningful progress.”
The renowned writer further underscored the need to modernise traditional ways of life in order to retain their cultural relevance.
“This can be achieved by incorporating local foods, songs, and problem-solving methods from the past into contemporary living,” he said. “We can begin by asking our mothers how they successfully navigated challenges in their time, and apply those methods in raising our children today.
“This will help them understand their roots and equip them to address present-day issues with cultural wisdom.”
Soyinka also advocated making the study of indigenous languages compulsory in schools, alongside teaching history and culture to instil pride in Nigerian heritage.
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“As Africans, we must value our traditions and cultural identity to preserve our dignity and self-worth,” he added.
Earlier, Professor Wahab Egbewole, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, described Soyinka’s visit as a moment of pride and historical significance for the institution.
Egbewole, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed the collective delight of the academic community at hosting a cultural icon of Soyinka’s stature.
He stated that the establishment of the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts was driven by a vision closely aligned with Soyinka’s lifelong commitment to the arts and humanities.
According to the Vice Chancellor, the Centre was conceptualised with figures like Soyinka in mind, reflecting a sincere effort to contribute meaningfully to cultural scholarship and global discourse.
He further disclosed that the vision for the Centre had matured over time, now evidenced by the enrolment of students across diploma, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes.
Egbewole expressed optimism that, with the endorsement and support of Professor Soyinka, the Centre would evolve into one of the foremost institutions of its kind globally.
