The Lagos Liaison office of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), on Thursday, 18th October, 2018, flagged off the 4th edition of the weekend Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme (NILP) in Lagos, in accordance with the Institutes continued effort to foster national unity through indigenous languages.
Speaking at a ceremony to kick-start the programme, the Acting Executive Secretary of NICO, Mr. Louis Eriomala, said the programme was initiated to enable working class citizens as well as foreign nationals to improve their usage of local languages in the country.
Represented by the Deputy Director/Head, NICO Lagos Liaison Office, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, Eriomala disclosed that the programme is ongoing in other zonal and state offices of the Institute, saying if the nation must grow, there is need to reposition the minds of people to continuously speak their local languages.
In his words “Based on request from participants and partners; the Urhobo Language School Lagos, between Thursdays and Friday’s from 10am till noon, there will be Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba classes while Urhobo language classes will hold from 10am-12 noon on Saturdays”.
According him, the programme will run from October till December, 2018 and if there is need for extension, the Institute will not hesitate to inform the public.
He therefore called on participants to embrace the indigenous language programme, saying the Institute has also developed a new module for past participants who intend to further their learning of indigenous languages to ensure continuity.
The Ag. ES of NICO also said the Institute is working towards increasing the number of languages being taught to ensure maximum participation by the public.
Meanwhile, the Director, NICO Training School, Lagos, Mrs Bridgette Yerima, said the Institute has done so well in promoting Nigerian indigenous languages and expressed appreciation to the Urhobo Language School for their immense participation and support during the August edition of NILP. She therefore prayed for sustained cordial working relationship between the two institutions.
Yerima who further called on all well meaning Nigerians and foreigners alike to key into opportunity, maintained that over the years, NICO has contributed immensely towards national development using culture and there is need to encourage the Institute to do more.
Present at the event were delegates from the Urhobo Language School, Lagos, participants and staff of the Institute.
Corporate Affairs Unit
Lagos