The longest serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Solomon Enang, has reiterated the need for all Nigerian indigenous languages to be learned and spoken at all levels, especially in every Nigerian home, saying, ”if you want to be identified regarding where you come from, speak your language because you language is your identity. You shouldn’t be afraid or shy to speak your own language because other people’s language you learn in schools like French, the original speakers were proud of it.”
Speaking as one of the patrons of the Post Graduate Diploma in Cultural Administration (PGDCA) programme of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Training School, Abuja Study Centre, during the Award Ceremony organised by Class 2016 members of the programme to honour deserving patrons, Management staff and students at the Institute’s headquarters, No. 23 Kigoma Street, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja-FCT, on Wednesday, 3rd August, 2016, Sen. Enang charged the audience to always appreciate and promote their mother tongue (Nigerian indigenous languages).
He argued that language and culture are very key to human development because cultural values and norms in every culture mould and shapen every individual and could help sustain the society if both are well harnessed.
His words: ”Culture is about nurturing an individual; culture is economy; culture is religion; culture is health; and culture is everything. If you know your culture and you grow up in your culture, you will never be poor; you will never be hungry because God has given every community what to eat and how to eat it. Therefore, I will urge all of you to speak your language because that is your culture. Please, value your culture not just for the culture of playing and dancing; but let your culture speak for you; let your culture feed you.”
Continuing, Enang enjoined the Institute to do more in the area of culturally re-orientating people on the importance of teaching indigenous languages, especially students in schools and public gatherings to further educate them.
In his speech, the Executive Secretary of NICO, Associate Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma appreciated the 2016 PGDCA Class, most importantly the Class Governor, Mr. Michael Bush, and his executive members, for such a wonderful initiative and award ceremony they have put together to mark the end of their first semester examination, as well as charged all NICO staffers present to be committed to the vision of the Institute in order to help build and work towards its growth.
Prof. Ayakoroma also used the opportunity to intimate the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (The Senate) on the challenge of access road to the Institute’s permanent site in Kuje-FCT and the paucity of fund to execute the Institute’s programmes and activities lined up for the 
year and solicited the Senator’s support to ensure that NICO achieves its set objectives.
Apart for the presentation of awards to patrons, the ceremony also featured presentation of Executive Secretary’s Awards in Students Category, namely, the Most Responsive Lady/Student (Mrs. Jane Anigala, Asst. Director, Administration and Human Resources); Most Responsive Gentleman (Abdullahi Saidu); the Most Punctual student (Mrs. Chibuogwu Chinye); the Most Sociable student (Mr. Babawere Kehinde); Most Culture Compliant student ( Mrs. Memunat Zakari); and Award on Leadership (Mrs. Ihuoma Nzeaka).
The NICO Troupe was on hand to entertain the audience with a wonderful cultural dance performance.
Njideka Dimgba
Corporate Affairs Unit
NICO, ABUJA-FCT