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<header class="entry-header gmail-clearfix"><h1 class="entry-title">FG inaugurates committee for language policy development</h1>April 19, 2018<p class="gmail-mh-meta entry-meta"> <span class="entry-meta-author gmail-author gmail-vcard"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-user"></i><a class="gmail-fn" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/author/toba/">Clement Idoko-Abuja</a></span> <span class="entry-meta-categories"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-folder-open-o"></i><a href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/category/education/" rel="category tag">Education</a></span></p></header><div class="entry-content gmail-clearfix"><div class="gmail-mh-social-top"><div class="gmail-mh-share-buttons gmail-clearfix"> <a class="gmail-mh-facebook" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-inaugurates-committee-for-language-policy-development/#" title="Share on Facebook"> <span class="gmail-mh-share-button"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-facebook"></i></span> </a> <a class="gmail-mh-twitter" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-inaugurates-committee-for-language-policy-development/#" title="Tweet This Post"> <span class="gmail-mh-share-button"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-twitter"></i></span> </a> <a class="gmail-mh-pinterest" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-inaugurates-committee-for-language-policy-development/#" title="Pin This Post"> <span class="gmail-mh-share-button"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-pinterest"></i></span> </a> <a class="gmail-mh-googleplus" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-inaugurates-committee-for-language-policy-development/#" title="Share on Google+" target="_blank"> <span class="gmail-mh-share-button"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-google-plus"></i></span> </a> <a class="gmail-mh-email" href="mailto:?subject=FG inaugurates committee for language policy development&body=http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-inaugurates-committee-for-language-policy-development/" title="Send this article to a friend" target="_blank"> <span class="gmail-mh-share-button"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-envelope-o"></i></span> </a></div></div><p><img class="gmail-alignleft gmail-size-full gmail-wp-image-79021 gmail-lazyloaded" src="http://s23069.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/president-buhari-1.jpg" alt="FG president buhari" width="450" height="350">The
 Federal Government has formerly inaugurated the National Technical 
Committee for the development of Language Policy for Nigeria to preserve
 Nigeria’s indigenous languages.</p><div class="gmail-mh-content-ad"> <ins class="gmail-adsbygoogle" style="display:block;text-align:center"></ins> </div><p>Malam
 Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education who inaugurated the committee in
 Abuja, said the National Language Policy is to enable government create
 conducive atmosphere for the preservation of indigenous languages, as 
well as determine how language skills are developed and deployed to 
achieve national goals.</p><p>He said the National Language 
Policy could not be taken for granted, because it would produce a 
workable document that will promote enable the Nigerian child grow up 
multilingual.</p><div class="gmail-code-block gmail-code-block-1" style="margin:8px auto;text-align:center;clear:both">  <ins class="gmail-adsbygoogle" style="display:block;text-align:center;height:152px"><ins id="gmail-aswift_6_expand" style="display:inline-table;border:medium none;height:152px;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:605px;background-color:transparent"><ins id="gmail-aswift_6_anchor" style="display:block;border:medium none;height:152px;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:605px;background-color:transparent"></ins></ins></ins> </div><p>Adamu
 also said that a well articulated language policy would enhance the 
international status of Nigeria, as Hausa is spoken in all Economic 
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), even in Central Africa and 
Cameroon, while Yoruba is spoken in Benin Republic and the Diaspora.</p><p>Arabic is the official language of most North African countries and the Middle East.</p><ul><li><a class="gmail-yoast-link-suggestion__value" href="http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fcta-defends-n40bn-2018-national-priority-budget-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FCTA defends N40bn 2018 National Priority Budget</a></li></ul><p></p><div class="gmail-2ct" style="width:1px;height:0px;opacity:1;margin:0px auto;display:block;float:none" align="center"></div>The
 minister commended members of the committee and expressed the 
ministry’s gratitude for accepting to partner, explaining that their 
nomination was based on their wealth of experience in linguistic and 
educational matters.<p></p><div class="gmail-code-block gmail-code-block-2" style="margin:8px 0px;clear:both">   <ins class="gmail-adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"><ins id="gmail-aswift_7_expand" style="display:inline-table;border:medium none;height:250px;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:300px;background-color:transparent"><ins id="gmail-aswift_7_anchor" style="display:block;border:medium none;height:250px;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:300px;background-color:transparent"></ins></ins></ins> </div><p>Speaking
 earlier, the representative of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal 
Ministry of Education, Director ICT, Dr Ifegwu Oji, said the importance 
of Language Policy for Nigeria cannot be overemphasised, explaining that
 the policy will not only encourage linguistic diversity and 
multilingual education, but will also create better awareness of 
linguistic and cultural traditions.</p><p>He noted that it would assist 
in regulating and enabling the effective utilisation of languages for 
the achievement of national goals.</p></div>

<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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