Take it or leave it,
English, as a language, has come to stay in Nigeria. Its existence, wide
acceptance and spread in the country are caused by the following factors:
1. The multilingual
nature of the Nigerian society
It has been recorded that
Nigeria has over three hundred (300) languages, and this has made
communication very difficult among Nigerians. In order to communicate
effectively in a language everybody understands, English is used as a Lingua
Franca in the country. A Lingua Franca is a common language among people with
different languages for the purpose of easy communication.
2. The attitude of
Nigerians towards the English Language
Nigerians have a positive
attitude towards the English Language. Everybody wants to communicate in
English, especially in a formal setting, regardless of their incompetence in
the language. Most parents encourage their children to speak English as their
first language. In fact, in Nigeria, literacy is measured by a person's spoken
and written English. When a person speaks or writes English very well, people
admire and respect him/her.
3. It is a weapon for
securing white-collar jobs
In an organisation where
things are done correctly, one must be proficient in English for one to be
employed.
4. It is a ticket for
gaining admission into any school in Nigeria
For a person to gain
admission into any school in Nigeria, he/she must have at least a credit pass
(50%) in English. For example, "Use of English," as a subject, is
compulsory for anybody writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination
(UTME). Besides, a student who fails English in his/her Senior School
Certificate Examinations (SSCE) will have to rewrite that examination;
otherwise, he/she will not be admitted into any university in Nigeria. This
language policy in Education has made the English Language a towering monument
in Nigeria.
5. It is Nigeria's
official language
English, amidst Nigeria's
indigenous languages, has gained an official status. It is the authorized
language of education, media, banking, politics etc. With this, it is the
choice language in any formal gathering as the use of any other language is
frowned at.
6. The state of Nigeria's
indigenous languages
English, since time
immemorial, has orthography, and unlike Nigeria's indigenous languages, its
orthography has been mastered by most Nigerians because it is taught and learnt
in schools. As a result, many Nigerians find it very easy writing in English
than in their indigenous languages. This has undoubtedly promoted the use of
the English Language in Nigeria. Orthography simply means a system of
writing in a given language.
The aforementioned
factors have placed the English Language in a position that will take Nigeria's
indigenous languages years to occupy (if it is possible) because the English
Language is not "thinking" of "relinquishing" such position
any time now.