The Me in Me as a Nigerian

Nigerian flag

By Nze Chidi Uchendu

The me in me as a Nigerian is any of the Nigerian languages, be it Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, Ibibio, Ijaw, Urhobo, Tiv, Idoma, etc. Nigeria as a country is blessed with over three hundred languages, but because of colonisation the English language of the people who colonised us from another continent has become the official language of the country, an independent country.

For the extension of imperialism, the English language is made the official language to the detriment of our indigenous languages. Not only that the English has become the official language but many Nigerians have started to see themselves as English people and see it as a crime and offence to speak the Nigerian indigenous languages. 

It is true that many Nigerian children do not know that we have indigenous languages. We do not blame the children because there is a saying that when the she-goats are eating grass, the small ones look at their mouths. So it is that when parents, teachers and the leaders talk in foreign languages, children have no choice than to follow the steps of the people they are looking up to.

It is true that many of us were not present when the colonisation took place, but we know that it happened and we know that we have languages. Since we have languages, we have a serious duty to keep our languages alive. We can start with the three major languages – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba (Wa Zo Bia, Nno Sanudazuwa Ekabo). After these, we can take another three, before you know it, Nigerians will be able to discuss freely in two or three of our indigenous languages as people from one country or nation.     

We know very well that we are not being fair to this great umbrella Nigeria, which binds us together as a people. We rather cling more to self, tribe, religion and even political parties. We always try to be more English than the English and more French than the French. We take joy to demonstrate before our fellow Nigerians that we can speak foreign languages. What a demonstration of ignorance, self-denial and inferiority complex. It is high time we made our national interest to overshadow our ethnic differences. We must bear in mind too that no country in the world is foreign-centred as ours.

I know that many Nigerians will want to study the Chinese language rather than our indigenous ones because our charity begins from abroad. As citizens of an independent country, Nigerians should endeavour to learn and speak our indigenous languages freely among themselves. They should use the English language when talking to foreigners and not to Nigerians.  It is absurd for Nigerians to be talking to one another in a foreign language in their fatherland. It should be noted that we make ourselves foreigners in our fatherland by talking to one another in foreign languages. 

We are in the project of encouraging the teaching and speaking of our indigenous languages starting with Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. It is good, proper and worth doing that we as a people learn our indigenous languages to communicate with one another as a people from one country. This will surely promote peace, love, unity, progress and common understanding of one other. It cannot be overstressed that most of the ills in the country emanate from our dependence on the use of foreign languages which tend to keep us in the state of people from different nations.

This is a vital project that should have started at independence but did not, either due to tribal differences or that people did not know it is necessary or important. Self-realisation is important and can come anytime. However, our own is overdue. To still be using a foreign language in doing everything in the country, fifty-five years after independence, is unbelievable and cannot be defended.

Roland Hays, a famous singer, was scheduled to sing before the King and Queen of England. Before the appointed time, he received a message from his mother which had only few words: “Roland, remember who you are.” We are Nigerians. Yes, we are Nigerians and what make us different from others are our languages and culture. In the assembly of nations, one is identified by the language one speaks. 

Be part of this historic National Self-Realisation Project. We seriously request that you help in the fertilisation of the project so that it does not die in the valley of ignorance and imperialism. The economic, educational and social benefit of this historic national project can never be overstressed. 

We cannot be tired of doing the things that help in binding us together as a people. Future generations will never forgive us if we abandon completely our national heritage, which makes us what we are as a people.   

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