BRIEF BACKGROUND:
Studies conducted recently shows a steady decline in the use of indigenous African languages, especially among middle to upper-class African millennials and Generation Z. If the stats are to be regarded as true, then the next generation of business leaders, academics and politicians in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya will speak English as a first, and most likely only language. Many including myself are alarmed by this prospect, denouncing it as a loss of culture and ethnic identity that must be stopped at all cost. Various suggestions have been put forward ranging from the implementation of revised school curriculums, to the promotion of indigenous languages in mass media, and even the launching of grass-root campaigns aimed at encouraging parents to speak native languages to their children. This has birthed the idea of Edo Language Competition. It is an empowering strategy by Lawrence J Osayande Foundation which empowers the older and younger generation, creates opportunities and raises awareness.
