The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) has begun training for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enable them speak Nigeria’s major languages.
The second edition of the training is ongoing for this year’s Batch A, Stream 2 members currently in camp to ensure that the indigenous languages do not go into extinction.
NICO’s Executive Secretary/CEO Biodun Ajiboye said the training was conceptualised to address the rapid decline in the knowledge and use of indigenous languages, especially among the youths.
Ajiboye, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Orientation and Cultural Affairs, Segun Adegbaju, said: “By acquiring proficiency in these languages (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba), Corps members can interact more efficiently with community residents and improve on their communication skills during community development initiatives and various interactions, thus fostering harmonious coexistence.”
The Camp Director for this year’s Batch A, Stream 2, Nwaoha Angela, hailed the initiative and urged the institute to “do a follow-up by reaching out to the Corps members at their various Community Development Service (CDS) groups so that it can be sustained”.
A beneficiary, Alhassan Tellen, said: “I’m interested in learning Igbo, Yoruba, and Gbagi. Learning the Gbagi language would make it easy for me to communicate with the indigenous people of Abuja. I commend NICO for the initiative.”
