Why children should fall in love with their mother tongues

The National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, recented celebrated the annual Children’s Day with the theme “You and Your Language.’’ Although the celebration was to simply to engage children through entertainment, the National Museum, however, capitalised on the day to remind children, and particularly parents, on the need to renew their commitment towards the promotion and projection of their mother tongues.

Children’s Day is one of the notable days that is celebrated internationally, where different cultural performances by different ethnic groups are used to entertain children, but this year’s event was a great opportunity by the National Museum  to promote the Nigerian culture and tradition, with the Head of Department, Educational Unit, Mrs Rebecca Agbogun, admitting that “the purpose of this year’s event  is to promote and preserve the various indigenous languages in Nigeria.

“When we lose our languages,  then culture is greatly weakened; the truth is that language is the pillar of culture and foundation based on oral traditions.

“It is, therefore, so sad when the majority of our younger ones today cannot speak their mother tongues; this is a sad development which must be reversed.

“That is why we at the National Museum took it upon ourselves to project the importance of the mother tongue to the sustenance of culture in the country,” Mrs Agbogun said.

The Educational Unit HOD also adviced parents to encourage their children to love their mother tongues, since these children are the ones who will take our culture to the future.