Nigerian Languages and Identity Crises

Imelda Icheji Udoh · Ima Usen Emmanuel

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Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies Multilingual Education and Policy Language and Culture

Abstract

Nigeria is home to over 500 languages (Lewis, 2009), accounting for 25% of languages spoken in Africa.Most have never been documented.28 languages are listed in the UNESCO Atlas of Endangered Languages as endangered.In addition to these indigenous languages, there are three other foreign languages: English, French and Arabic, which have become part of the system over the years.English as the language of official communication, has a prominent place in the system.French was made Nigeria's second official language since 1996 by General Sani Abacha's regime, even though this has not been duly implemented.Arabic is connected to Islamic education, and it is used extensively in the northern parts of the country.Nigeria also has recognized three languages: Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo as 'major' languages, which attract a lot of government patronage, as opposed to the 'minor' languages, which have not attracted much government attention as they are very many.The Nigerian linguistic situation is therefore diverse, fragmented and chaotic.This linguistic situation has created a complex system which has engendered varied identities, leading to several crises in different areas.How can 'Unity in Diversity' be achieved in Nigeria?This paper explores the role of Nigerian languages in identity formation and the crises arising in different sectors of the Nigerian society.The identity crises explored here are: linguistic, political, ethnic and educational; and these are addressed within the framework of Social Identity Theory (SIT) proposed by Tajfel and Turner (1979, 2004).These crises marginalize, exclude and disempower certain groups and individuals in the society.A dual model of language programme is proposed for the Basic level of education to deal with these issues.

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