By Newsbreak365
A generation that can speak English fluently but struggles with its indigenous language could face a serious cultural disconnect.
Nigeria is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with hundreds of indigenous languages spoken across its different regions and communities. Yet, an increasing number of young Nigerians appear to be growing up with limited ability to speak, read or write the language of their parents and grandparents.
For many children born from the year 2000 onward, English has become the dominant language of education, social interaction and, increasingly, communication at home.
English is undoubtedly important. It provides access to education, employment, business and communication across Nigeria and beyond. However, the growing preference for English should not necessarily come at the expense of Nigeria’s indigenous languages.
When a child cannot speak their mother tongue
Language is more than a means of communication.
It carries a people’s history, culture, traditions, values, proverbs, stories, names and worldview.
A child who cannot communicate comfortably in the language spoken by their grandparents may also struggle to understand some of the cultural meanings contained within those traditions.
Consider the traditional proverbs passed down from one generation to another. Many of them contain lessons about wisdom, family, respect, responsibility and human behaviour. When young people lose the language through which these ideas were traditionally expressed, some of that cultural knowledge can become harder to pass on.
This does not mean that every child who speaks English more fluently than an indigenous language has lost their cultural identity. Culture is complex, and people can maintain strong cultural connections in different ways.
But the decline in everyday use of indigenous languages is something worth discussing.
Why are young Nigerians losing fluency?
There are several possible reasons.
1. English dominates education
For many Nigerian children, English is the primary language used in school. From textbooks and examinations to classroom discussions, English occupies a major position in formal education.
As a result, children may spend more hours every day using English than their indigenous language.
2. Parents sometimes prefer English at home
Some parents deliberately speak English to their children because they believe it will help them perform better academically or communicate more effectively in the modern world.
While that motivation is understandable, it can unintentionally reduce a child’s exposure to their indigenous language.
3. Urbanisation and mixed-language families
Nigeria’s cities bring together people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. In families where parents speak different indigenous languages, English or Nigerian Pidgin may become the common language.
This can make it more difficult for children to become fluent in either parent’s mother tongue.
4. Technology and popular culture
Children today consume enormous amounts of content through smartphones, television, YouTube, TikTok and other digital platforms.
Much of the content they encounter is produced in English or other globally dominant languages. Without enough indigenous-language content, children may naturally spend less time hearing and using their ancestral languages.
Speaking is not enough
There is also an important difference between speaking an indigenous language and being able to read and write it.
Some Nigerians can communicate fluently in their mother tongue but cannot read or write it because they never learned it formally.
That creates another challenge: even when people speak their language, they may struggle to preserve written stories, historical accounts, traditional literature and educational materials in that language.
Preserving indigenous languages therefore requires more than encouraging children to speak them.
They should also have opportunities to read, write, learn and create content in those languages.
Parents have an important role
The home may be one of the most important places where language preservation begins.
Parents and grandparents can speak their indigenous language with children during everyday activities rather than treating it as something reserved for special occasions.
Children can also learn through:
Traditional stories and folktales
Proverbs and songs
Indigenous-language books
Family conversations
Cultural events
Local-language television and digital content
Reading and writing lessons
Conversations with grandparents and older relatives
The goal should not be to reject English.
The goal should be bilingual or multilingual competence rather than replacing one language with another.
A Nigerian child can learn excellent English while also being proud and fluent in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Efik, Edo, Tiv, Ibibio, Nupe, Urhobo, Kanuri or another indigenous language.
Our languages are part of our heritage
Nigeria’s linguistic diversity is one of its greatest cultural assets.
Every indigenous language represents generations of human experience. Within those languages are expressions, names, jokes, songs, proverbs and ways of describing the world that may not have direct equivalents in another language.
When a language becomes less widely spoken, that cultural knowledge can become increasingly difficult to pass on.
That is why the conversation should not be about choosing between English and indigenous languages.
Nigeria does not have to choose one or the other.
We can raise children who speak English confidently while also knowing the language of their parents and grandparents.
The question for Nigerian parents
The responsibility does not belong to parents alone. Schools, governments, communities, writers, filmmakers, technology companies and content creators can all contribute to keeping indigenous languages relevant to younger generations.
But parents have a particularly powerful advantage: children learn the language they hear and use every day.
If we want our indigenous languages to survive, we must make them part of everyday life.
The question is therefore not simply whether today’s children can speak English.
The bigger question is:
Will tomorrow’s generation still be able to speak the languages that connect them to their cultural roots?
What do you think?
Are Nigerian parents doing enough to teach their children their mother tongue?
Is the dominance of English responsible for the decline in indigenous-language fluency, or are there other factors that deserve more attention?
Tell us your opinion in the comments.
And if you believe Nigerian indigenous languages should be preserved for future generations, share this article with your family and friends.
Our languages are more than words. They carry our history, our culture and our identity.
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