…as Benin National Museum holds Int’l Mother Tongue Day
Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uyi Odua Malaka, has harped on the need for a people to preserve their mother language in any way possible in order to avoid the extinction of their language and cultural heritage.
The Commissioner, who spoke on Thursday at the National Museum Benin during an event to mark the 2023 International Mother Tongue Day, called especially on the Edo-speaking people to strive to preserve their language.
She described the International Mother Tongue Day as an all-important event to cultures all over the world “because the people’s mother tongue is the most critical part of their culture”.
“It speaks to who you are, your identity. Therefore, it is important we ensure we preserve our languages in any acceptable way possible,” she said.
Malaka said UNESCO had some years ago projected that many languages were in potential danger of extinction by 2050, meaning that “our identity and civilization are in danger of disappearing into thin air”.
She congratulated the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for adopting multilingualism in schools in Edo State as a means of preserving the cultural heritage and also for the support the state government has been giving, especially for the upcoming Edo Language Day scheduled to hold 12 and 13 August, with the collaboration of the University of Toronto, Canada, across the senatorial districts.
The International Mother Tongue Day celebration, themed “Multilingual Education – a Necessity to Transform Education Experience”, was attended by several dignitaries, including the Head of Museums, Ghana Museum & Monuments Board, Mohammed Malik Saako, Culture Programme Specialist at UNESCO, Philippe Delanghe, and his wife, among others.
Also in attendance were the Curator of National Museum Benin, Mark Olaitan; Professor of Linguistics at the University of Benin, Victor Omozuwa; Open Learning Consultant at Edo Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), John Osawe; Chairman of PDP in Oredo, Oduwa Paul Igbinosun, members of the Edo State House of Assembly, representatives from schools in the state, as well as other guests.
Earlier, Prof Omozuwa opened the event with a prayer in Benin language, which was followed by the Edo Anthem and the traditional breaking of kola nut.
The event which also featured colourful cultural displays by the Benin Group of National Museum, the Anointed Children Academy, and Notre Dame Group of Schools – who dazzled the attendees with performances like moonlight play and cultural dance.
The audience was also treated to other performances, such as Ekhora (poem in Benin) competition, news translation in Benin, as well as other activities in Benin.
Speaking with The Nigerian Observer, a heritage officer at the National Museum Benin, Mrs Neheziemwen Ikponwansa Ogunbor, said the programme, which was organised by the Curator of the National Museum Benin, is an inaugural programme aimed at highlighting the need to foster the growth of the language in Benin particularly.
She explained that the event also spoke to the need to preserve, protect, promote and conserve “our cultural heritage in terms of our mother tongue (language)”.
International Mother Language Day is a worldwide event initiated by UNESCO. It is observed annually on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. However, in Edo, this year’s celebration was shifted to July 20 to accommodate series of other events.
