The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has urged governors and other stakeholders in the southwest region, to do everything possible to prevent Yoruba language from going into extinction.
The Publicity Secretary of the Organisation, Jare Ajayi, made this call during a caucus meeting held at the residence of the National Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, noting that the Yoruba language should be used for teaching and communication in schools within the region.
He noted that there is a pressing need to revive the language and prevent it from slipping into obscurity.
While decrying the declining state of the language, the group advocated the formulation and implementation of a policy by the governors that would mandate the use of Yoruba as a medium of instruction for teaching in both primary and secondary schools, adding that parents and guardians should be incorporated into the policy.
“Among the issues deliberated upon that are of concern to Afenifere is the status of the Yoruba language, particularly in Yoruba land.
“The meeting called on the governors, particularly in Yoruba-speaking states, to make it a policy and probably even make it compulsory for the language to be used as a medium of expression in teaching at the primary school level and up to the junior secondary school level.
“It’s of great concern to the meeting that many parents are not speaking, let alone teaching their children.
“We create a positive danger of extinction shortly. The meeting, therefore, encourages all parents to speak the language in their homes,” Ajayi said.
