LINGUISTIC ISSUE IN NIGERIA'S SOCIO-POLITICAL ECONOMY

Résumé

This paper examines the challenges facing the survival and preservation of indigenous languages in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Igbo language. Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s vast linguistic diversity, it highlights the growing threat of language extinction driven by factors of lingua franca, urbanization, and sociocultural attitudes that privilege foreign languages over native ones. Drawing on historical suppression and loss, the study demonstrates how similar patterns are unfolding in Nigeria, where both institutional practices and parental choices contribute to the erosion of indigenous languages. The paper underscores the intrinsic link between language, culture, and identity, arguing that the decline of a mother tongue entails a corresponding loss of cultural heritage and communal consciousness. It raises critical questions about the need for deliberate preservation efforts, including possible language policies and restrictions aimed at safeguarding indigenous languages within their native regions. Furthermore, it explores the implications of migration and the phenomenon of unilateral bilingualism among Igbo speakers, questioning whether linguistic adaptation in non-native regions warrants some form of cultural or social compensation. The study ultimately calls for a reassessment of language priorities and the development of strategies to ensure the continuity and vitality of indigenous languages in Nigeria.