Indigenous language media remains a force for developmental goals and democracy in Africa – Prof. Abiodun Salawu

Story by Olanrewaju Ogundeyi

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. 

He made this assertion at a colloquium organised by the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) and the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) where he delivered the keynote address.

The colloquium which had “The Role of Indigenous Language Media in Building Engaged Informed” as its theme was held at Sandton, Johannesburg and brought together various African language media experts to discuss the way forward for indigenous language media sustainability.

In his keynote address, Prof Salawu enjoined major stakeholders not to rest on their oars in formulating policies that will strengthen African language media.  

His presentation titled: Indigenous Language Media Participation and Democracy in Africa affirmed that the colonially inherited official national languages in Africa are killing indigenous languages because they are the languages of education, power and economic freedom. He added that the young population are losing the cultural and social benefits of deep understanding of their indigenous languages through this trend.

The ILMA Director reminded the audience that indigenous language media is one of the important domains that has continued to speak life into native languages. Thus, admonished participants at the colloquium to embrace indigenous languages in the print, digital, electronic, social media as well as other sectors.

He noted that African language press was always associated with Christian missionary activities because the missionaries felt that the best way to diffuse the beliefs and tenets of their religion among the natives was to communicate with them in their indigenous languages. In situating the relevance of indigenous language media to democratic participation in Africa, Prof. Salawu stated that the yardstick for the use of indigenous language in evangelism by the missionaries was the same idea that made local language press a veritable tool for democratic mobilization. He added that the media were increasingly replacing political parties in stimulating and organizing the participation of the masses in the political system.

The University don further categorised the involvement of African language media on the continent into two epochs of nationalist struggle and post-independence politics by analysing its use in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa, where he also revealed the pitfalls of the participation of local language media in ethnic politics.

In his concluding remarks, Prof. Salawu asserted that despite the challenges experienced by indigenous language media, the sector remained a potent vehicle for mobilising people for developmental goals including democracy with a call for synergy with the local media. He stressed the need for indigenous language media practitioners to integrate both the online and social media into their practice in this era of the fourth Industrial Revolution.