The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) has requested permission from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to incorporate indigenous language instruction into the weekly Community Development Service (CDS) sessions for corps members.
This initiative is aimed at preserving endangered mother tongues and promoting cultural heritage.
During an orientation program at the NYSC Kubwa camp in Abuja, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, Executive Secretary of NICO, outlined the agency’s goal of fostering positive cultural values and leveraging culture for national development.
He noted that the program has already seen success, with over 4,000 participants gaining proficiency in the languages taught by NICO.
Represented by Mrs. Helen Mfongong at the 4th edition of the program, Ajiboye expressed hope that the NYSC management will approve the establishment of a NICO Indigenous Language Club at the CDS level. This club would serve as a platform to deepen corps members’ understanding of the languages and ensure the initiative’s continuity.
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Ajiboye emphasized the importance of this expansion, stating, “We want to ensure that the program does not end at the platform level. By incorporating activities like drama, language quizzes, proverbs, and playlets into the CDS sessions, we aim to make the learning experience more comprehensive and impactful.”
He added, “Our goal is to embed Nigerian languages into the corps members’ experiences at the CDS level, enhancing the program’s visibility and strengthening the collaboration between NYSC and NICO.”
Mfongong further explained that teaching corps members the local languages of their assigned communities helps them better integrate and communicate with their environment. She praised the program’s success, noting that corps members have significantly improved their language skills and ability to interact with local communities.
Since the program’s inception, approximately 4,000 corps members have benefited, according to Mfongong. NICO has also implemented a monitoring program to track participants’ progress through various social media platforms.
