Mr Abayomi Abolaji, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Basic Education
….Lagos official
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Mr Abayomi Abolaji, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Basic Education, has appealed to parents to always interact with their children in their mother tongues as a strategy to preserve Nigeria’s culture.
Abolaji made the appeal in an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos.
He said that children would pick Nigeria’s official language – English – from their schools and interactions with peers, but could lose their mother tongue if not deliberately taught.
The official said that parents should intentionally teach their children their mother tongue at every given opportunity especially during school vacations.
He said that such an effort would go a long way to save mother tongues from going extinct.
”Parents must de-emphasise use of foreign languages in interacting with their children.
“Mother tongue is fundamental; we must imbibe it in our children right from the home.
“Sometimes, there are things you will want to relate to children that are better communicated in the local dialect or proverb.
“English Language is being used to teach them in schools,” he said.
The permanent secretary appealed to students to channel their times and energy to studies rather than spend them on social media, saying that studies were more profitable.
Abolaji said, “We don’t want our children to go on the fast lane.”