UK based Nigerian invents keyboard in local languages
A UNITED Kingdom based Nigerian, Adebunmi Adeniran, has developed a keyboard to support and enable writing in at least 12 Nigerian languages, with correct signs and tones to give instant meaning to the reader. The Keyboard, known as NAILANGS, according to her, was conceived as a result of her zeal to ensure that Nigerian local languages are learned with ease so as to prevent the languages from going into extinction.
Adeniran stressed that the invention was a product of a long and thorough research, which came out of her love for languages “The concept for NAILANGS started out of the desire to find a good working and stress free Yoruba keyboard to type in as using the characters in ‘insert’ mode was like living in the ice age!’.
“With NAILANGS keyboard, there is no need to switch from one computer to another because once it is downloaded, one is able to type in English and it can be made a bilingual due to the nature of Nigerians who mostly speak more than a language. With the key, one is able to type the three official languages, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and other six recognised languages which are Effic, Idoma, Hausa/Fulani, Tiv, among others.”
According to her, one of the reasons for her choice of keys is the number of people in a particular ethnic and their passion to speak their dialect “such language is Urhobo people, they are very passionate about writing their language, so I have incorporated their keys, even though they might not be part of the so called recognise languages, because they love to do something with their language.”
NAILANGS keyboard, which is virtual, is available on all platforms such as Google Playstore, iOS store and Window (Desktop) for downloads.
She expressed dissatisfaction at the rate at which Nigerians now use their dialect as a secondary language instead of primary language. According to her, “Coming back to Nigeria from the UK in the last one month has been an eye opener, while the children over there are itching to speak our languages, whether is Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba,I find it very painful that I have come to Nigeria and the Children are not being thought our own language.”
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3 Comments
Thank you my dear sister for this thoughtful innovation. Back home the federal government wants to make sure that Nigerians languages go extinct. Instead of encouraging the learning of Nigerian languages in schools, French has been made compulsory for secondary students. I won’t be surprise if same its extended to universities. By that time Spanish being the second most spoken language, may also be made compulsory even in primary schools..
Arrant nonsense… check out the Guardian of 2005 and the story about KONYIN Nigerian Multilingual Keyboard for typing in all 250 written Nigerian Languages… this keyboard has been on sale in Nigeria and in use by most academic institutions in Nigeria. The DG of NITDA launched the Keyboard in Abuja
Bette Language spoken in northern cross river is very important. Konyin Multiligual keyboard should tell me where to buy one or if the United kingdom based Nigerian, Adebunmi Adeniran has included Bette in her own keyboard. Think about us seriously.
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