9.2. Rethinking the communication in English programmes in Nigerian higher institutions Tertiary institutions in Nigeria usually offer a two-semester course in communication in English as part of the mandatory general studies courses. Experience has shown that that one dose is at best a starter dose. Time has come to set up Language Centres in higher institutions to provide both remedial and continuous learning opportunities for students throughout the duration of their studies not just what happens in the first year only. The contents of the communication in English courses should be revamped to focus more on literacy in English with greater emphasis on academic English literacy with clearly articulated skills and competencies which students need to acquire for academic achievement and life-long learning.
9.3. Investing in language and literacy research for development For so long in Nigeria, the focus on development has not appropriated the importance of language and literacy in development discourse. Investment in language and literacy cannot be glossed over because language and literacy matter in Nigeria’s development. As long as we continue to discuss development from structural and economic dimensions alone without paying attention to the linguistics of development, the conception and perception of development will remain blurred in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that most of the interventions on language and literacy in Nigeria from the 1970s to the present have been from funding from external agencies and donors. Government, at all levels, has not deliberately provided adequate funding for language and literacy interventions in Nigeria. Governments, corporate bodies and individuals should recognize the centrality of language and literacy in development matters so that we can put our money where our mouth is.
9.4. Adopting Nigerian English for external examinations In this lecture, it was established that Nigerian English is not a substandard variety of English and Nigerians need not be apologetic in the use of Nigerian English. Some skeptics still have doubts as to viability and resourcefulness of Nigerian English. They will put up such samples as shown below as representative of Nigerian English which is replete with grammatical and mechanical blemishes.
“President Muhammadu Buhari returned back to the country on Sunday after a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom. Notable amongst those present was Abba Kyari, his chief of staff; Muhammed Bello, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT; Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff; Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
Unfortunately, this is an extract from top notch media house in Nigeria. I need to stress that Nigerian English is not marked by errors. The errors in the extract above are simply performance of sloppy writing and violations of basic rules of English grammar. These are errors which could have been corrected by careful proofreading, an essential process for good writing. Using computer grammar check should have taken care of the lack of subject-verb agreement in the second sentence while thinking through the use of ‘return back’ should have alerted the writer to the misuse of returned and back together. The second sentence is replete with errors of mechanics of writing which may not have been noticed if spoken especially in the use of appropriate uppercase letters for proper nouns and titles.
Beyond such samples, the question for consideration is whether time has not come to test Nigerian students who take external examinations such as the National Examinations Council (NECO) on Standard Nigerian English while making provision for proficiency tests for those who wish to study abroad who require either British or American English proficiency performance. The point is that academic English proficiency is not the same like general English competence. We need to invest more to develop Nigerian English to the extent that it can be used to assess students in external examinations in Nigeria. We need to emphasis the point that in Nigeria, there are speakers of English as a Second Language and those who speak English as a First Language. Speakers of English in Nigeria whether as second or first language have a right to English and to be served in English and that right should be respected and supported in our educational system.
