At dawn, a voice spoke from the corners
of a desolate hut: “Let’s promote our tongues.”
The heritage of the talking drum,
preaching Yoruba to all and sundry must endure.
Abiodun is a custodian of culture
Like Salawu, we should preserve our heritage.
The beauty of the Zulu language
should spread across the world by daylight
and by sunset, everyone dances to the rhythms of Akan.
Let us tell a story in Igbo’s wisdom,
where we find our roots in African light.
In harmony, our colorful culture stands,
and indeed, there is unity in diversity.
PROFESSOR Salawu, who is a prolific scholar and Director of the research entity Indigenous Language Media in Africa, believes that Indigenous languages are a tool for development and progressive democracy and has consistently argued that the dominance of colonial languages in African media marginalizes Indigenous languages, leading to limited public participation. I would like to support his academic efforts to support the use of our indigenous languages.
In the major parts of Africa, English and French dominate journalism despite the continent’s richness in languages, but the lack of political will to promote linguistic diversity in media content only exacerbates the issue. Africa, akin to numerous other continents, is built on diverse linguistic backgrounds, with Nigeria alone comprising over 250 ethnic groups, while countries such as Ghana and South Africa exhibit comparable traits. However, despite the gift of diversification in Africa, the dominance of colonial languages such as English, French, and other related entities remains a driving force in journalism and communication on the continent, which questions the significance of indigenous African languages. By virtue of colonization, these foreign languages are mostly official languages in Africa, and thus, our journalism and communication have suffered several challenges, while the evolving dynamics in both traditional and digital media channels have posed numerous threats to the promotion and development of indigenous languages.
Language is an integral aspect of a culture, and excellent communication in a society drives it to prosperity. Hence, a developing country or continent should promote the relevance of their indigenous languages amongst themselves or within their geographical territory for easy communication and comprehension. This gesture can further lead to a global acceptance or recognition of the culture, and countries such as China are a perfect allusion. Moreover, these indigenous languages facilitate easier communication, making the government accessible to the subjects. It also helps to preserve our culture as Africans. That is to say that the importance of language and communication is not limited to what we say or think; it portrays who we are and what we stand for. Evidence has proven that Indigenous journalism always includes local people. This is vital for development communication as it assures that the idea is well circulated and understood by the public.
In the middle of the 20th century, colonial powers ceased to have more sway over Africa, but a lot of African countries still used colonial languages for formal business, even though they were now free. This has led to the loss of many aspects of the cultural heritage of the African people, which is a central theme in Professor Salawu’s work. In his article, “Indigenous Language Media: A Veritable Tool for African Language Learning,” he criticised the rigidity of the African learning curriculum by positing that learning African languages should go beyond the four walls of the classroom. In other words, it is reiterated that the inclusion of fieldwork and other practical experiences helps students learn more about their languages rather than just theoretical facts taught in the classroom. There is a saying that “you cannot teach what you don’t understand,” perhaps this was the sentiment that inspired Professor Salawu to call for the revitalisation of African indigenous languages. He talked extensively about the future of African languages if they had their media. Professor Salawu posits that one of the best ways to promote African languages is to incorporate indigenous language media as one of the most important voices in African communities. This is because it gives learners a special chance to use the language in a way that matters.
In several journalism schools in Africa, the curricula largely focus on English or French, leaving indigenous languages unnoticed. It is also more difficult to create and share content because many African languages only possess a sub-standard writing system. Digital consumers have a difficult time finding content in native languages because Google, Safari, and Meta, which are so ubiquitous all over the world, are dominated by foreign languages. Moreover, it might be arduous to run a media business that thrives in the richness and depth of Indigenous languages due to a smaller audience, but the recent intervention, education, and civilization make it easier for more people to use social media, blogs, and other means to create and share information in their languages. For example, Nigerian online stars and local reporters now use Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo to make news and entertainment.
It is a fact that the commonest languages and cultures in our society are Western and colonial cultures, and there is no doubt that many African intellectuals have played a big role in subduing colonial control on the continent. For example, some scholars fought for the change of the curriculum in African schools from being Westernized and pushed for the use of native languages in the classrooms. Professor Salawu’s service in the journalism profession has spanned over three decades, and he has actively made his mark as one of the leading academics preaching the gospel of the growth and development of indigenous media in Africa. As a professor of Journalism, Communication, and Media Studies at North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, he has undoubtedly had a monumental effect on the conversation on how to promote indigenous languages across Africa.
Professor Salawu is concerned that African Indigenous languages are at a crossroads in this time of globalisation when technology has transformed the world into a small, global village. It is worth reiterating that globalisation has given African indigenous languages many opportunities by spreading them across many digital media channels, which has helped them effortlessly cross borders. But the fact that English, French, and Portuguese are the most commonly spoken languages in the world is a big threat to the survival and relevance of African Indigenous languages, and the only way to fix this irregularity is to engage what Professor Salawu says in his publication, “Paradox of a Milieu: Communicating in African Indigenous Languages in the Age of Globalization.” Africans and their languages must evolve and grow with the world around them while yet keeping their own identities.
His work has been significant in the areas of journalism and communication studies in Africa by helping to challenge the received wisdom that relegates indigenous African languages to the back seat while prioritising Western languages. By way of indigenous language Media in Africa (ILMA), he encourages research that documents as well as critically interrogates indigenous language media practices and calls for policies that strengthen African languages throughout the African continent. There is no doubt that this will strategically reflect a growing recognition of the value of indigenous languages in media outreach and business.
As an academic, Professor Salawu’s educational sojourn began in Nigeria, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree, PGD, MSc, and PhD. He categorises the involvement of African language media into two epochs: the nationalist struggles and post-independence politics, analysing its methodology in African countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and South Africa. He has authored and edited over 150 publications in academic journals. Notably, he edited the seminal book indigenous language media in Africa and co-edited Indigenous Language Media, Language Politics and Democracy in Africa. He has gained enough recognition in his field, joining the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) in August 2024 as the first individual in the field of Media and Communication to get this honor. He is also a member of the Royal Society of South Africa and a professor at Woxsen University in India in the School of Liberal Arts and Humanities.
Let me conclude by saying that I agree with Professor Salawu when he says that the use of African languages in the media is essential for fair representation and preservation of culture. He notes that Africa can preserve its rich cultural heritage while allowing genuine and free communication using native languages. As the media continues to evolve over the years, Salawu’s work shows the way forward for incorporating indigenous languages into mainstream media in Africa.