I am not sure if UNESCO’s pronouncement will yield anything worth commenting on, judging by the fact that nothing much was achieved in 2019, which was equally hailed as the International Year of Indigenous Languages,”

Salawu is a foremost scholar who has deepened our understanding of the intersection between media, language, and digital platforms

“Digital communication systems can reconnect communities, preserve culture, and archive indigenous content for future generations,” he said. Salawu added that new media platforms promote empowerment, self-determination, and civic engagement across Africa.

He stressed the need for stronger support of community radio and regional television, calling on municipalities to fund local programming as a means to promote civic engagement and cultural preservation. “If even a small percentage of municipal budgets were allocated to community media, we could empower residents with information, build accountability in governance, and create spaces where people understand their roles as citizens,”

“Environmental communication needs to reflect the pluralism of knowledge systems,” said Dr Kimu. “We must move beyond top-down messaging and embrace local traditions which have been proven to be powerful tools for mobilising the community towards positive ecological behaviours.”

“My study looked at the ways in which digital community newspapers can serve as tools of preservation,” explained Mokgothu. “I wanted to understand how Seipone Madireng contributes to keeping Sepedi alive, how readers perceive its role, and what challenges the newspaper faces in this mission.”

“Motsweding FM is not just broadcasting, it’s preserving,” says Gofaone. “Through Facebook, the station connects Setswana speakers across borders, offering accessible and engaging content that supports linguistic and cultural continuity.”

The study showed that the internet and health workers had the strongest effect on knowledge and attitudes. However, understanding was often affected by the language in which information was received. Many women with limited literacy in English or other dominant languages did not fully grasp health messages unless presented in Indigenous languages

“YouTube offers visually rich and interactive content that helps learners engage with authentic language, cultural context, and native speakers,” the study found. It also highlighted that YouTube enhances language proficiency and cultural understanding, reinforcing the platform’s educational value

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.

Universities, too, have a responsibility. They must establish language innovation hubs where students, journalists, and linguists co-create content in indigenous tongues, podcasts, community newspapers, and digital platforms. It’s not just about preservation; it’s about evolution. Indigenous languages must not only survive the present but also shape the future.

My scholarship in African language media derived its inspiration from the stance of the late Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o to do his creative writings in his native Gikuyu language. For many decades before he died yesterday, Ngugi did his creative writings in Gikuyu though they get translated into English for a global audience

As South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of crime, a North-West University (NWU) researcher has highlighted the critical role young people can play in prevention efforts when supported and included in meaningful ways.

The International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse (IJILMD) has officially published its first issue. The journal is a scholarly initiative under the Indigenous Language Media in Africa research focus area within the Faculty of Humanities at North-West University (NWU), South Africa.

Celebrated historian and scholar Prof. Toyin Falola has once again contributed to the academic growth of North-West University (NWU), encouraging students to view the 25 books he has donated to the Mahikeng campus library as a compass

In a world wired for global communication, local languages are falling silent.This was the stark message during a recent public lecture hosted at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, where policymakers and scholars addressed the growing threat to indigenous languages.

The Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity at North-West University (NWU) hosted its annual public lecture on 13 March 2025, at the Mahikeng Campus, featuring veteran broadcaster and NWU honorary doctorate recipient, Dr Masego Ezekiel “Easy” Matjila.

The prestigious Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies (LNUC) at Vexjö in Sweden has invited Professor Salawu, Director of ILMA Research Entity at North-West University, as a guest researcher from 1 November to 1 December 2024

The Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity at North-West University (NWU) proudly celebrated the remarkable achievements of its members, who were recognised for their excellence in research at the recent NWU Faculty of Humanities Staff Awards.

“We are pleased to collaborate with the government on this critical initiative. Through community-engaged research, we aim to identify the root causes of these issues and propose actionable recommendations to address them,” says Prof Motsaathebe, highlighting the university’s commitment to impactful research.

Apply for a Ph.D. or MA. in communication science, and media communication in Africa at North-West University, Mahikeng Campus, South Africa, via the ILMA Research entity.

Indigenous language media scholars and practitioners converged at the University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) Alice Campus recently to dissect the nexus of Indigenous language media in identity negotiation and belonging during the 2nd Annual ‘Town-Meets-Gown’ seminar series hosted by the Department of Communication.

Dear colleagues, friends, students, and acquaintances, please note that on September 25, 2024, Professor Abiodun Salawu, the Director of ILMA Research Entity at the North-West University, South Africa, will be delivering a lecture on ”It All Starts Here: The Place of isiXhosa in the Historiography of African Language Press” at the “Town-Meets-Gown Seminar Series” of […]

Professor Gilbert Motsaathebe, a renowned scholar with a wealth of experience in both academia and the media industry, delivered a thought-provoking inaugural lecture. The lecture, titled “Negotiating knowledge boundaries and dual citizenship: A mass communication practitioner’s diachronic, pedagogical, and futurological exploration,” offered a comprehensive reflection on his professional journey and the evolving role of pracademia in mass communication.

Colonialists never left Africa after independence but have continued to expand their empires through language domination, according to Kenyan academic and author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, currently a distinguished English and comparative literature professor at the University of California, Irvine.

At the 3rd Biennial IAMLMR International Conference, the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) Research Entity launches the International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse (IJILMD).

The College of Fellows of the prestigious Nigerian Academy of Letters has awarded Prof. Abiodun Salawu  Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL).

In its drive to become a more research-intensive institution, the Research and Innovation Department of the North-West University has selected the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) Research Entity as one of its performing research entities at the 20-year-old University

A media consultant, multimedia journalist, and academic, Dr. Quasim Akinreti has called on media practitioners to utilise the advantages of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of their tools of trade to remain relevant to the audience

Listed below are hotels available for the IAMLMR Biennial Conference in July (8–11), 2024. Delegates are therefore encouraged to make a reservation as soon as possible

The Journal of African Cinemas is currently inviting abstracts for a themed issue on “African Language Films”. The Journal of African Cinemas is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal that explores the interactions of visual and verbal narratives in African film.

The organising committee of the International Association for Minority Language Media Research (IAMLMR) biennial conference under the theme Minority Language Media in Uncertain Times invites submissions for the biennial international conference to be hosted by the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity at the North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa on 8 – 11 July 2024.

A renowned expert in indigenous language media research and Director Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity at North-West, Mafikeng campus Prof. Abiodun Salawu has argued that people hardly research indigenous language media. 

Prof Toyin Omoyeni Falola has generously donated 27 books to the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus library.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), together with PanSALB and the United Nations in South Africa, are hosting the inaugural Indigenous Languages and the Media Seminar today in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Renowned historian, Prof. Toyin Falola, has said the decline of indigenous languages will result in poverty and marginalisation,

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity hosted a hybrid public lecture on 3 August on “Communication, media, culture, and evolving trends in the world of indigenous languages”.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity will be hosting Prof Toyin Omoyeni Falola, the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas in the United States.