The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has inducted 46 new members into its fold, including Prof. Oladele Balogun, a contemporary Nigerian philosopher and Senior Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

The induction was held during the 28th convocation, induction of new members and investiture of regular and honorary fellows of the Academy.

Speaking at the event, NAL President, Prof. Andrew Haruna, called on the Federal Government and sub-national governments to prioritise indigenous languages as part of efforts to strengthen national identity, intellectual development and nation-building.

Haruna, who spoke on the theme, “Mother Tongue Education Policy and the Path to Nation-building,” described the neglect of mother tongue education as a major threat to Nigeria’s cultural identity.

He argued that the country had for decades attempted to build a nation using “borrowed linguistic tools,” stressing that children learn better when taught initially in languages they understand.

“When a child is forced to master a foreign language before understanding the concept being taught, we do not merely delay learning, we fracture their identity,” he said.

The Academy also inducted 11 regular Fellows and two distinguished Nigerians as honorary Fellows.

Among the new regular Fellows are Professors Remi-Raji Oyelade, Nosa Owens-Ibie and Gbenga Solomon Ibiloye.
The Shehu of Borno and Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi, and Professor Ephraim Lucas were invested as honorary Fellows.

The Academy also honoured filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, with the NAL Award of Excellence in Humanistic Practice, while Professor Emeritus Femi Osofisan received the Distinguished Life Fellowship Award.

Speaking with journalists, Balogun, who is Special Assistant to RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Administration, warned that several indigenous Nigerian languages could go extinct unless deliberate measures were taken to promote them among younger generations.

He said the declining use of mother tongues was threatening the preservation of Nigeria’s culture and values, urging parents, scholars and governments to take responsibility for reversing the trend.
Balogun said the situation was particularly concerning among Nigerians who sent their children abroad for education, noting that many of such children grew up without adequate knowledge of their parents’ languages and cultural expressions.

He also criticised the country’s approach to policy implementation, saying Nigeria had sufficient laws, policies and institutions but often failed to translate them into meaningful action.

Balogun specialises in African Philosophy, Epistemology, Philosophy of Education, Ethics, Jurisprudence, Political Philosophy, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Yoruba Philosophy.

The guest lecturer, Professor Imelda Udoh, advocated a well-planned mother tongue-based multilingual education policy, stressing that English and other languages could be systematically introduced after establishing a strong first-language foundation.