We're In A Deep Mess Nigerian Parents Abroad Cries Out

[@francisaganyi1325]

Shouteast, southwest, and shout-shout are the culprit. They are proud of America, Germany, the U.K. and even Benin Republic.

[@Mwenzako]

All Africans should be official languages .....

[@straightforward3330]

we have to start by making all our ethnic languages official languages and make them mandatory for graduating schools. maybe we can start solving mathematic in igbo, yoruba etc

[@kevinumunnakwe112]

It’s a shame we remember when we were telling our parents to please teach us our language but now look at the mess we are in now. MAY GOD HELP US ALL IN AFRICA

[@Ogades]

I have seen many professionals like, medical doctors, engineers, pilots and many more that can't even speak good English they speak fluently their language but African are the ones going behind we have adopted English as is it's our mother tongue

[@johnnwabuforudemezue1108]

Thanks, Nigeria is not a nation, the problem is not colonization, its the amalgamation.

[@jayrock9351]

Story for the gods. As if the Northern Nigeria was not amalgamated. Those people can speak Hausa fluently even if they travel to the moon.

[@anoiteddenzeltv2860]

Same thing happens to my brothers children he has to bring them back to Nigeria because they only speak India not even English

[@elani6507]

This is deeper than language. Indian civilisation is even longer than Europeans actually. Their written alphabets are not from the the Roman or Greek alphabets but distinct from ancient times (about 8th century BC?). The had kingdoms and empires, their distinct religions etc before European colonialism, whereas, we in Africa were small tribes and chieftains etc. In essence, Western colonialism had lesser influence on the Indian way of life than it had on us, in Africa. In fact, Europeans trace a lot of their own words and language to India. Even the apostle, St Thomas, was said to have travelled to India in 52 AD! So, we should not be too surprised that an ancient civilisation like India prides itself in maintaining its traditions. I know, it doesn’t mean we, Africans, should not learn about our own culture and languages. I am ashamed that I can’t write or read fluently in my native tongue. UNESCO has identified the Igbo language as being at risk of extinction. This has been caused by a number of factors e.g, the shame of the Biafran War and needing to blend into the rest of Nigeria, Igbo people being entrepreneurial and using English for trade and strangely, the damage caused by radical evangelical movements attacking our ways of life e.g shrines, festivals and Igbo belief systems as paganism. When you destroy these things, you lose their meanings, the history and language associated with them! These are fascinating issues of culture and globalisation.

[@traykunable]

If you immigrate abroad, you are doing it with the implicit understanding that you wish to assimilate into their culture at the expense of yours. This is not a uniquely African problem. Even the Indians self are losing their culture in the West too. So if you want to preserve your culture then it has to be an individual effort of learning the language and actively speaking with your kids which is what some internationals abroad are doing.

[@josephnduka7834]

Ife na eme ayi si ayi na aka.

[@raphaelogbonna925]

Nigeria is not a nation. Indians speak one language. Nigeria has no language. We are an amagamated nation . We are different nations..so we will never act, speak or behave like one nation. Different culture and values..India has one culture....we can only achieve or be like India unless Nigeria is divided.

[@sonofra889]

India does not have one culture, though. There are over 700 ethnic groups in India! So obviously Nigeria is less amalgamated than India, as well as less religiously diverse. We are not even racially diverse.

[@kevinharrison5794]

My brother why are you lying

[@chetamchim5485]

only the culture has divided everything as it needs to be men.

[@magnitoxmen2666]

Wrong they have many languages but chose their least popular language as their language.

[@raphaelogbonna925]

@@magnitoxmen2666 dialect Nd language are two different things. Please take note.

[@tobimcmorris7690]

That's a good one, and I agree with you here. However, there are many factors militating against this effort in Nigeria. 1. The ethnicity issue, a.k.a. tribalism. If you've observed, many Nigerians are increasingly bearing English surnames: you have names like Esther John; Michael Anthony; John Thomas, etc. These kind of names used to be common in the riverine and coastal areas and parts of Yoruba land, Onitsha and Calabar. We know the reasons for this - the history of these places with regard to their early interaction with the Europeans. But these names are now becoming common further inland. Reasons: To shield the ethnic identity of the users. It makes the difference between being accepted for a job, university, etc, and failure. The State-of-Origin 'tool' is used to decipher any ambiguity caused by the foreign surnames. 2. Language: It's not called Mother Tongue for nothing. It's the first sounds a child hears, learns and uses to interact with the most important person in its life - the mother. Thus mothers play an important part in ensuring what a child speaks, including the ACCENT. Again, your accent speaking "Nigerian English" can determine whether you get that post in a ministry. If you have a foreign name/surname, with no regional or tribal accent, it HELPS in Nigeria. Speaking only English from childhood, strips away the regional accent, but leaves the Nigerian accent which, distinguishes you from a Ghanaian, for instance. As a multilingual and multi ethnic person, I know this for a fact. Of all the major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbos are the least likely to engage you in a conversation, in Igbo language, when they're in an official position. Speak Igbo, s/He replies in English. Ibibio, Yoruba, Hausa, Urhobo, etc, will easily and happily respond in their languages, which is GOOD. State and Fed Govt should make it compulsory, to teach practical native languages in a practical manner, not like "A for APPLE", but like "Aa for AKARA". Many Nigerian languages are endangered to be extinct like Latin. It's a shame really!