“It Is Compulsory”: Lagos Varsity Integrates Yoruba Language into Curriculum

• The Yoruba language is a compulsory course for 100- and 200-level students at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED)
• The university integrated the language into its General Nigeria Studies (GNS) curriculum and students must pass it before graduation
• The decision is in compliance with the law that the Yoruba language must be included in the GNS programme of all tertiary institutions owned by the state

Lagos state, Ijanikin - Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) has integrated the Yoruba language into its General Nigeria Studies (GNS) curriculum.

The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, said the decision was taken in line with the law enacted by the Lagos State Government on August 8, 2018, Tribune reported.

According to the law, the Yoruba language must be included in the GNS programme of all tertiary institutions owned by the Lagos State Government,

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“It is a compulsory course for both 100- and 200-level students, and they must pass it before they graduate.

“Immediately after we transmuted into a university, the senate of the institution approved the teaching of Yoruba at the GNS level in 2022, and we started teaching in February during the 2022–2023 session.

“For now, our university is the only institution that is teaching Yoruba for one whole session in the state.”

Lafiaji-Okuneye said the decision will help to preserve and encourage the use of the Yoruba language.

“The idea of making Yoruba language compulsory is because we want our students to know more about the culture.

“I urge parents and schools to adopt our language, which can help us become game changers in preserving the language among children and students.”

Students must sing National Anthem in Yoruba daily

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the former Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode, had directed that students in public and private schools in the state should sing the National Anthem in Yoruba language daily, to preserve and promote the Yoruba culture.

The ex-deputy governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, relayed the directive at a meeting with principals and head teachers of public schools in Lagos. She said that the Yoruba language would also be made a compulsory subject for students.

Ambode had signed the Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Bill into Law on Thursday, February 8.

China produces first Yoruba textbook

People's Republic of China has produced its first Yoruba Language textbook titled ‘Ede Yoruba.’

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, July 13, by Goke Alamu, a professor from the Ekiti State University (EKSU)

Alamu said he was invited to China to teach the Yoruba language in 2020 but could not travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He, however, disclosed that he and three US professors began online classes for students of the Beijing Foreign Studies University in China.

Source: Legit.ng