Don’t abandon Awobuluyi’s path to national development, Okewande urges FG
By Mubarak Oladosu
The Acting Head of the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Dr Oluwole Tewogbade Okewande, has cautioned the Federal Government against plans to scrap the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in primary schools.
Dr Okewande gave this warning last Wednesday, (September 2, 2026), while speaking with UNILORIN Bulletin in his office.
He said that socio-economic development would continue to elude Nigeria for as long as it fails to sustain the policy canvassed by the University’s first Inaugural Lecturer, Prof. Oladele Awobuluyi.
According to him, Prof. Awobuluyi, the pioneer Head of the then Department of Linguistics, advocated the development of indigenous languages until his last breath.
Dr Okewande said, “There is no country that attained development that taught its children in the language of its colonisers rather than what he called ‘languages of the soil’.”
He noted that other countries have institutes dedicated to the development of their indigenous languages through researches on lexicon, structure, vocabulary and dictionaries, among others.
Nigeria, he added, remains indebted to the late Prof. Awobuluyi and his academic collaborators, such as the late Prof. Ayo Bamgbose, for their contributions to the development of Yoruba. Their work, he said, has made it possible to teach science subjects in the language.
Dr Okewande further urged more state governments to conduct parliamentary proceedings in indigenous languages. He called on all stakeholders to work towards the preservation, development and promotion of indigenous languages, as it is the standard practice in developed nations.
Speaking on the strides of the Department, the don said the University produced its first graduate of Hausa in the just-concluded academic session. The Igbo unit graduated its third set with five students, while 45 students graduated in Yoruba.
He said the Department is working towards the inclusion of more indigenous languages after mobilising host communities.
According to him,“Nigeria has about 500 languages, and many are yet to attain the level of documentation, or usage in the mass media ” he noted. He, however, disclosed that the Department has contributed to the development of Taro, an endangered language spoken in Niger State by graduating a Linguistics student who worked on the language.
Dr Okewande described Linguistics as “the scientific study of language in general” and a lucrative course for bilingual and multilingual candidates
He said, “Job opportunities await graduates in language development institutions, policy-making agencies, media outfits, diplomatic offices and educational institutions, among others.”
