Harnessing the Multilingual Factors of Nigeria for Development: The Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

The arbitrary and haphazard territorial boundaries imposed by the colonial powers in the last two
centuries or so did not take cognizance of the people’s diversities before differentiating Nigeria and other
sub-Saharan African states. As a result, the geo-political enclave now known as a country encompasses
people with varying linguo-cultural identities. This has continued to have far reaching effects on the socioeconomic
potentials of the nation. It is further argued that the post-independence Nigeria’s slow pace on
the road of progress is largely due to the non-participation of the Nigerian mono-lingual majority in the
socio-economic and political affairs of the nation. This is either as a result of the non-availability, nonutilization
or defective language policy, or its absence, that is geared towards the use of mother-tongues.
This paper, however contends that positive results can still be gleaned from the resourceful utilization and
positive involvements of the Nigerian factors despite her multilingualism. An empirical survey on the area
of activities where English domination is mostly manifested was conducted among some secondary schools
located in the south western part of Nigeria. It was found that European influence had continued to have
series of devastating effects on the self actualization ethos of the nation because wealth of indigenous
knowledge was being locked away in the local languages and was gradually being lost as the custodians of
these knowledge passed on. It is conclusively posited, therefore, that sustainable developments of the
Nigerian individual and society only reside in turning a new leaf to the involvement of mother-tongues in
the production and consumption of the world knowledge.