Making West African languages relevant in the development process

Abstract

Africa is home to over one-third of the world’s languages, i.e. 2000+ languages. Africa also plays ‘home’ to indigenised varieties of major European languages. Launching her Lordina Foundation in the US recently, the FLOTROG said ‘There is a direct link between poverty and lack of education’. I say, there is a direct link between non-exploration and mobilisation of indigenous values and knowledges conveyed through indigenous languages and snail-speed development or regression. My aim in this presentation is to demonstrate that a renaissance of indigenous languages is unfolding on the African continent. I shall draw illustrations from Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria and Ghana policy debates, popular culture (Ghana’s Most Beautiful – tokenism?), film industries, and development in information technology. I shall propose that national politics and governance are in dire need of infusion exploration in order to transform the current 'democracy of the elite' in most of our countries to mass participatory and inclusive democracy.