The Cross River State House of Assembly has called on the state government to introduce the compulsory teaching of the Efik language in all primary and secondary schools across the state.
The Assembly also urged that each Local Government Area (LGA) in the state adopt its most widely spoken indigenous language as a compulsory subject in schools within its jurisdiction.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Bassey Effiong, member representing Akpabuyo State Constituency, during plenary.
In presenting the motion, Hon. Effiong expressed concern over what he described as the steady erosion of the state’s cultural identity, particularly its indigenous languages, traditional attire, cuisine, and dance forms.
“The most worrying aspect is that many of our dialects are on the brink of extinction. A significant number of children neither understand nor speak their native languages, and even fewer can read or write them,” he said.
He noted that although Efik is already featured in some school curricula, many students tend to choose other Nigerian languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa in its place.
The lawmaker also advocated for the revival of indigenous languages such as Efik, Bekwara, and Ejagham in radio and television news bulletins and cultural programmes.
To strengthen indigenous language education, the House recommended the establishment of Departments of Indigenous Languages at the State University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa and in other state-owned tertiary institutions.
Hon. Effiong further proposed that the predominant indigenous language in each LGA be determined through a simple majority vote by the local legislative council of the area.
Other members who contributed to the debate expressed similar concerns, warning that if urgent steps are not taken, many native languages in the state may go extinct in the near future. They called for deliberate efforts to revive and promote the use of indigenous languages, especially among the younger generation.
The motion was unanimously adopted by the House and is expected to be incorporated into a proposed bill for the establishment of a Centre for Indigenous Languages, Culture, and Heritage.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, commended Hon. Effiong for raising the motion and praised members for their unanimous support.
He expressed optimism that the resolutions, once implemented, would preserve the linguistic heritage of Cross River State and promote indigenous identity among young people.
According to him, the initiative is consistent with the National Policy on Education, which encourages the use of mother tongues in early childhood and basic education.
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