The Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Femi Akinwumi has called on Ekiti people to support the compulsory teaching and learning of Yoruba in the educational institutions, particularly primary and secondary schools in the State.
Prof. Akinwumi who made the call in Ikere Ekiti at the 2025 celebration of Yoruba indigenous language and award presentation by Egbe Akomolede Ati Asa Yoruba (a Pan – Yoruba Cultural Group) said one of the ways to promote Yoruba culture is to make the language compulsory as a subject in the school communities, advising that parents should stop discouraging their children from learning the language as a subject.
The University of Ibadan trained professor of education management noted with great interest that if our children are mandated to learn Yoruba as a subject they would be able to think using the language and education would be much easier because if Yoruba is the language by which we think it would enhance our invention, stressing that a child who thinks in his/her native language would quickly develop inventive mind like the Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, etc
Prof. Akinwumi emphasized that no country or society which uses a language other than its own can develop fast and become independent and therefore call on stakeholders to in addition to making teaching and learning of Yoruba mandatory, they can also develop a new curriculum to enable Yoruba students learn all subjects in Yoruba language from primary schools to the universities in order to make teaching – learning easier and more interesting, noting that the idea does not prevent them from learning and become proficient in English language..
The SUBEB boss noted also that no matter how small a nation may be in Europe, America or elsewhere, they teach their children all subjects in schools in their mother tongue, advising that we must speak our own language to preserve our culture.
“We can begin to blend the use of technology with our local language to teach science subjects including mathematics and computer science to be able to understand them better and learn faster. Using our local dialect or language could prove helpful in understanding the complexities of most of the sciences and social sciences and doing so, we will all become advocate of using our indigenous language to impart knowledge” He posited.
Expressing the fear that foreigners might someday be the one teaching our children their native language, Prof. Akinwumi said the influx of Americans and English into Nigeria to learn Nigeria’s languages particularly Yoruba is a ‘wake up’ call that we should appreciate our identities and therefore lauded the state government under Governor Biodun Oyebanji for approving the compulsory teaching and learning of Yoruba in both primary and secondary schools in the state.
He urged parents to minimize the rate of communication between them and their children using English language at the detriment of their local language, adding that Yoruba language is one of our cultural identity and if we don’t promote it, we would gradually wipe ourselves into extinction.
According to him, he usually speak his native language mixed with Yoruba to communicate with his children because to him Yoruba is one of the finest languages in the world, stressing that we should in addition to speaking our language, we should wear our own traditional dress and eat native foods which are more nutritional and delicious than the foreign foods.
Earlier, the National President of Egbe Akomolede Ati Asa Yoruba, Pastor Ayo Adesina said the Yoruba language is a unifying force that binds the Yoruba people together and gives them their common identity, urging individuals, corporate bodies and institutions to appreciate and support the speaking of the language with pride everywhere they are.
Stressing that any society without a language will remain hopeless and finds it difficult to progress, Pastor Adesina described the Yoruba language as very distinct and full of rich values which distinguish it from other world languages, adding that since 1979, Yoruba has been on the platform of International Phonetic Association (IPA).
While congratulating the awardees including the SUBEB Executive Chairman, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, the president commended their prominent roles at promoting the speaking of the language and also the bold step by Governor Oyebanji for mandating the teaching and learning of Yoruba in Ekiti schools.
Other awardees include Her Excellency the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye, Permanent Secretaries of Ministries of Education and Information, Mr. Michael Omolayo and Prince Olusesan Alabi respectively among others.