Linguists, cultural experts and parents have expressed concerns over the gradual erosion of Nigerian indigenous languages as younger generations abandon them for English and Pidgin.
They spoke with journalists on Saturday in Abuja as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2026 International Mother Language Day.
The day is observed annually on February 21 as part of UNESCO’s broader initiative to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people across the world.
The experts lamented that this cultural shift has resulted in young people growing up with limited knowledge of their culture, creating a generational disconnect.
They noted that the silent erosion of these languages, if left unchecked, poses a serious danger not only to cultural identity but also to Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and history.
Immanuel Ugwu, an educationist and culture enthusiast, said the problem could be traced to inadequacies of modern parenting.
According to him, a child’s mother tongue is supposed to be the first tool of understanding, shaping early cognition and identity before formal schooling begins.
He, however, noted that many modern families prefer to communicate in English and Pigin English at home, and schools often discourage the use of local languages, branding them as ‘local’ or ‘uncivilised.’
“There are even many instances where parents intentionally speak only English to their children at home, fearing that introducing a local language would hinder their mastery of good English.
“This is the situation where many young Nigerias, especially those from an elite home, find themselves, and they end up distancing themselves from their native languages to appear civilised,“ he said.
Ugwu added that English remains a dominant language of instruction in schools across Nigeria, noting that major indigenous languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa were often taught merely as academic subjects.
According to him, the recent decision of the federal government to scrap the 2022 National Language Policy needs to be reconsidered.
Adams Yakubu, a linguist and media consultant, identified the ‘Vernacular Stigma’ in schools and elite circles as a critical part of the problem.
According to him, the inability to speak local languages is not merely a preference but a survival strategy in a system that rewards English.
He said young persons who were not fluent in English but spoke local languages very well were considered ‘local’ or ‘primitive’.
“Imagine a child being punished for speaking mother tongue in school in the name of vernacular; that was how it used to be in the primary and secondary schools I attended.
“Today, many young Nigerians cannot hold conversations in their mother tongue.
“Even in formal sectors such as banking, technology, and government, indigenous languages are not given the right place, which further reduces their perceived relevance among younger generations,” he said.
Gloria Oguchi, a parent, said many younger Nigerians are unable to speak their mother tongues because their parents chose to raise them with English in urban environments.
“I would say that parents caused it because they say everything in life starts with the foundation, and from my own experience, I have that problem,” she said.
Ebunoluwa Adeoye, a corps member serving in the FCT, said, “I cannot speak my mother tongue, and the first problem was that my parents did not speak to me when I was growing up.
“It would be encouraging for parents to raise their children with their language because it is always difficult to learn when you are grown.”
Michael Adejoh, a cultural advocate, said the loss of an age-long indigenous language was more than just the loss of words, but an extinction of traditional wisdom and folklores
According to him,when a language dies, the unique history of that culture often dies with it, leading to a cultural erosion that leaves the younger generation without a sense of identity.
He therefore called on policy makers, parents and educators to take appropriate actions.
Mr Adejoh called for the development of software, mobile applications and other digital platforms for local languages to make them appealing to younger Nigerians.
(NAN)