[A12n-forum] "Nigeria's native languages to promote science application"

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This item from Afrol / SciDev was seen at
http://www.afrol.com/articles/24845 (with thanks to Rui Correia for bringing
it to our attention). It relates to education, development, and also
localization of ICT...   DZO


Nigeria's native languages to promote science application

afrol News / SciDev.Net, 26 March - Nigeria's traditional rulers have
launched a new initiative to encourage the development of science and
technology by using local languages. Using Nigeria's three main native
languages in science aims at making science results more easily applied by
the country's regional and local administrations. 

The Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria says that science and
technology is not perceived as culturally relevant, and is not being used in
local situations because development strategies are communicated in English
- a language not spoken by a large percentage of people.

The initiative was launched last week - on 20 March - at the UN's
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) headquarters in
Paris, France. It follows a call by the African Union (AU) to make 2007 a
year of developing and promoting science, technology and innovation in
Africa. 

The initiative will develop teaching and communication materials on science
and technology in Nigeria's three official languages - Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba
- to promote a culture of science and innovation for building local
innovation systems.

Scientists, engineers and information and communication technology experts
will participate in the scheme, working closely with institutes and
universities, according to the scheme. 

Oba Okunade Sijuade, the Ooni ("King") of Ife, southwest Nigeria, pointed
out that Nigeria constitutes over a quarter of sub-Saharan Africa's
population and that as the initiative develops, the traditional leaders
would "reach out to other monarchs not only in Nigeria, but also other parts
of Africa."

An example of this is the plan to establish a science academy - the Yoruba
Academy of Science - to promote collaboration throughout sub-Saharan Africa.


King Sijuade added that consultations to establish a Nigerian regional
office of the Islamic Academy of Science are ongoing.

Addressing the Nigerian leaders, Koïchiro Matsuura, director general of
UNESCO, said, "By promoting science teaching in your mother tongue, you are
helping to preserve Nigeria's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as
expanding access to scientific knowledge."

"Above all, [you are] working to raise awareness at all levels of the
importance of science and technology to national development."

UNESCO is currently cooperating with Nigeria on programmes to revitalise the
national science and innovation system, which has been deteriorating for
decades. 

This includes a science and technology forum for parliamentarians, the
establishment of a high-level science governance structure and a proposal to
create a US$ 5 billion endowment fund for a Nigerian National Science
Foundation.

Nigeria's monarchs are representatives of the traditional rulership in
Nigeria. Their role in government is mostly representative and
reconciliatory; making peace interventions, courtesy visits and
negotiations. Locally, their powers may be greater, heading regional courts
and religious practices. 


By Abiose Adelaja

© afrol News / SciDev.Net
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