INTRODUCTION
Language is a human social phenomenon utilized by
people in their everyday life. People often wrongly perceive the term in an
abstract way. However, on the contrary, much of our understanding of reality is
dependent on language. Language determines our models of the world and the way
in which we represent the world. It is in view of this reality of language that
Victoria, et al [2007:407], quoting whitman, warns that “language is not an
abstract contraction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something
arising out of the work, needs, tress, joys, affections, and tastes of long
generations of humanity”. This phenomenon undoubtedly permeates every aspect of
man’s life.
The qualities of language, as highlighted above, aptly
apply to the English language. It is now universally accepted that English is a
world language. The language is used in all corners of the globe.
Multi-ethnically, like language is a term very much associated with the modern
society. It is nowadays a part of the much used vocabulary of the people.
Multi-ethnicity, as a factor, has generated several social, political, economic
and linguistic issues that affect the life of the people all over the world. In
Nigeria the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the people is the source of much confusion.
The paper focuses fully on language impasse in Nigeria
and also language as a tool for cultural domination and essential tool for
unity.
LANGUAGE
SITUATION IN NIGERIA
The amalgamation of the northern and southern
protectorates of Nigeria in 1914 by the British colonial administrators lumped
together people of diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds into
what has now become the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With over four hundred
mutually unintelligible linguistic groupings [according to Ayo Bamgbose].
Nigeria epitomizes a Babelic Scenario. In most cases, linguistic groupings
correspond to ethnic groupings making Nigeria about the most ethnically diverse
country in Africa.
Given the problems often associated with ethnic
diversity, it is not surprising that adopting an indigenous Nigerian language
as lingua franca became a major preoccupation among Nigerian linguists,
language planners and the government in the 1970s and 80s. Since linguistic
homogeneity often entails nationalism, an indigenous national language was seen
as one way of ensuring the continued oneness, or national integration, of the
many ethnic groupings that make up the country. Many believed differences
between indigenous languages keep the people apart, perpetuate ethnic
hostilities, weaken national loyalties and increase the danger of separatist
sentiments. This is because each local language is intimately related to or
equates an ethnic group, thus the use of a local language reinforces attachment
to ethnicity thereby going against the current of national sentiment. But the
adoption of a national language for Nigeria, and indeed any multilingual
society, is a volatile issue. Several proposals were considered for Nigeria.
The most widely debated is the adoption of one of the three major languages
[Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba] as the national language. The problem of course,
became determining the criteria for adopting one over the others. One
incontrovertible criterion for this choice would be language dominance. But as
Myers Scotten noted one of the reasons for official language dilemma in Africa
is that there is usually no single group with both enough numerical and
political dominance over the others to make its language the natural choice.
This is exactly the case in Nigeria.
To create an artificial Nigeria language for Nigerian
was also another alternative. Wazobia a concatenation of Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo
was an excellent idea and a lot of fuse was made about it in the media. But in
reality, Wazobia faces a lot of insurmountable problems. First, it was far from
being developed and the linguist who could work towards the development were
too cynrea to bond their effort towards this goal. Second, its further
marginalizes the minorities. If a hybrid language is to adopt it might as well
incorporate most of the existing languages. This was not practicable. Third, a
language requires a zealous population to propagate it and Wazobia had none.
Not perhaps the greatest impediment to the growth of Wazobia was the fact that
it was not an emergency and Nigerians had a choice, English language of the
colonial master. Thus Wazobia stood no chance.
Apart from the three major languages, another
candidate for national language status is the Nigerian Pidgin English [NPE].
Not only is it considered a language of solidarity, it is considered a neutral
language. Ayo Bamgbose, however, points out the major drawbacks of Nigerian
Pidgin English. First, its language development status is almost non-existent
since there are neither serious works nor a standard orthography. Second, just
like Wazobia, there is no more large population to back it up. Even though it
is the unofficial language of the armed forces and the police and is popular in
costal areas and urban centres. It is virtually unknown in large areas of the
country. Third, it is likely to be unacceptable to the majority of the people
who argue that English might as well be retained rather than replacing it with
an English-based pidgin, much like going from the frying pan into the fire. It
is then this difficulty in choosing an indigenous language as the official v
that has resulted in the continued existence of English as the official
language of education and administration in Nigeria long after the colonial
circumstances that gave rise to it has been dismantled. English is considered
to be acceptable as an official language by many because of its neutrality.
Therefore, most people would rather say let the sleeping giant lie.
In addition to its neutrality, the social and
political elite who were generally highly educated in the colonial language
have a major stake in its propagation since its continued use allows them a
major share of lucrative jobs and advances their social position and power. The
same can be said of the developed nations, especially the ex-colonial masters
since the continued use of the colonial language provides a good market for
their product.
LANGUAGE:
TOOL OF CULTURAL DOMINATION OR ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR UNITY
Nigeria has a hierarchy of official languages. English
is the national language and is used for government business all over the
federation. A number of important regional languages such as Hausa and Yoruba
are widely used in specific areas and a third hierarchy of languages are those
officially designated for further redevelopment, the number of languages
adopted for media broadcast and orthography development is significantly
larger. Despite this, Nigeria has no language policy that is encapsulated in a
single body law. Instead any policy must be extracted from national policy on
education, cultural policy for Nigeria e.t.c. constitutions of the Federal
republic of Nigerian.
The relevant sections of the constitution relating to
language and culture are as follows: ‘section is when says government shall
strive to eradicate illiteracy, 21, the state shall; a) protect, preserve and
promote the Nigerian cultures which enhances human dignity and are consistent
with the fundamental objectives, b) encourages development of technological and
scientific studies which enhance cultural values, 55, the national business of
the National Assembly shall be conducted in English, and in Hausa, Igbo and
Yoruba when adequate arrangements have been made therefore’. It will be evident
at one that these are of surpassing generally, that they do not commit the
state to any concrete policies or actions. Although the government will strive
to eliminate illiteracy, it does not clarity in which language the child should
be made literate. No specific provision deals with minority language, and to
date no consistent policy in this area has even been outlined.
The consequences has been the English has become the
defacto language of communication, the language of broadcast media, schooling
and increasingly the language of urban residents who have lost their maternal
tongue, often as a consequence of marriages between individuals from different
ethnic groups. An interesting consequence of this is Nigerian English itself
has developed quite distinctive forms, both in terms of the spoken language.
Whether this is desirable or it is highly controversial. It is obviously
desirable to have language of national communication and a single language of
government.
