Promotion of Efik - a major minority language in Nigeria

[Joshua Fishman]

Dear Oladipo: I'm glad you didn't "throw in the
towel" and that there is som progress on the
Efik-front. Will it impress your own children,
who have hitherto rejected it. Just don't
give-up!
Joshua




--- Oladipo Salami <diposalami at hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Efik - a major minority language spoken in the
> region (Southeast of Nigeria)
> where the English lanuage was first implanted
> in Nigeria is reported in a
> Nigerian daily - DAILY SUN - to have its first
> university trained garduates
> this month. Here is the report:
>
> UNICAL to graduate first Efik language students
> - DAILY SUN, Friday, January
> 2, 2004
>   From Boniface Mzama, Calabar
>
> History  is about to be made in Efik Kingdom as
> the University of Calabar
> [Unical] will soon graduate eight students who
> read Efik language. Although
> thousands of the Efik race have over the years
> graduated in various fields
> of learning, the graduation ceremony coming up
> this month, will be quite
> spectacular as the eight students will be the
> first to have read the
> language in the university. Excited by the
> unprecedented ceremony, the grand
> partriarch of Efik Kingdom, Professor Nta
> Elijah Henshaw , the Obong of
> Calabar, has said that plans were in the
> pipeline for the language to be
> made compulsory for natives of the race at the
> primary and secondary levels.
> The apex traditional ruler of the Efik Kingdom,
> has said that his palace was
> initiating a scholarship scheme to assist
> interested students of the area,
> wishing to study the language.
> Following the programme, he said each family in
> Calabar would be expected to
> contribute to the promotion of the language in
> schools and the university.
> Speaking to newsmen at the Obong's palace to
> mark the 2nd coronation
> anniversary of the Obong of Calabar, Prince Eyo
> Adam III, Secretary-General
> of the Etubom Council, said apart from
> individual families, every native of
> the area would  contribute N200 [$1.50] each,
> as his or her contribution to
> the promotion of the language.
> "Already, we have sent letters to Efik sons and
> daughters, both at home and
> in diaspora to assist in the programme, which
> is tagged: Promotion of Efik
> Language", he said.
>
>
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