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LANGUAGE SITUATION IN NIGERIA AND THE ISSUES OF LINGUA-FRANCA


It is an anthropological and linguistics fact that language plays a unifying role in the beginning, development, belief, custom, norms and folklores of any groups of people or societies.

This issue will take us far back to the golden age during the era of empire and their kingdom before 1906 when the British colonialist came. That's the period when each of these epires have what is called lingu-franca.

But the question is: what language is Nigeria lingu-franca?

This question have been registered on my mind for a long period of time. Quite a number of people said it is "pidgin".is this true?

Let me put it this way,
● The America/British speak and understand English.
● The indians speak and understand hindi.
● Ethiopia speak amaharic.
- Is there no true lingua-franca in   Nigeria?
 - Is pidgen our lingua-franca?
What is lingua-franca?

Lingua-franca is a common language used by people of diverse backgrounds to communicate with one another, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar.

It is a language that is peculiar to different peoples of different ethnic group at a particular time and particular place.

Language is the use of arbitrary signals such as vioce sounds, gestures and written symbols. It is a means by which words and expression find meaning. 

In 1914, the northern and southern protectorates of  a colony, an administrative boundaries set up by Sir Frederick Lord Lugard. This became the first political turning point and a milestone development. It brought the birth through the almagamation of a unit geo-entity and nation called Nigeria which is richly blessed with diverse of culture and language(over 521 languages). 

Consequently, Nigeria did not evolved through any known ethnographic origins. The almagamation was cosmetic and that can be seen in such because there were no element of homogeneity in the people that occupied the vast landmass. 

It is important to tell that Nigerian languages is suffering under the dangling edge of sword because of its dying state. The level at wich our indigenous languages is dying is too much and messure need to be taken.

Let's encourage ourselves in speaking our indigenous languages called dialects.  

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