Niger Delta

Don Advises Nigerians To Speak Native Languages

Published

3 years ago

April 19, 2023

A lecturer in the University of Calabar, Prof. Bassey Okon, has urged Nigerians to strive hard to preserve their native languages else the languages die in the nearest future.
Okon said this on Monday in Calabar while delivering the 115th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Calabar on the topic: “Language, Culture and Communication: The Societal Triumvirate”.
According to her, there have been outcries over the gradual extinction of some Nigerian indigenous languages, hence the need to keep them alive.
Okon said language and culture were the hallmark of “our identity,” adding that Nigerians should be bothered that their languages might either die or go into extinction.
Okon, a Professor of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, further charged Nigerians to wake up and make useful contributions towards the survival of their languages and culture.
She added that “looking down on your relatives who speak your native tongue because you speak perfect English is wrong”.
The lecturer described language as a thread with which the fabric of society is woven.
According to her, the survival of indigenous languages should not just be the duty of government and linguists but everyone’s duty.
Okon said there was need for people to be bothered about their languages going into extinction.
She said it was not about the number of speakers of a particular language, as according to her, languages with a substantial number of speakers could also be endangered.
“For instance, some linguists say that languages such as Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are endangered in one way or the other, how much more other Nigerian languages.
“This portends that the culture of the people will also go extinct since language is the vehicle for the transmission of culture,” she said.
Okon said that, if given the desired attention, language, culture and communication will become the building blocks that will keep society together.
She, however, commended the Federal Government for instituting a language policy which recognizes 520 indigenous languages as national treasures.
The Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, in her address, described the inaugural lecture as a forum for learning.
She urged everyone to see it as an opportunity to acquire more knowledge.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof. Eno Nta, Obi said language was useful in communication and stressed the need for Nigerians to embrace and preserve their indigenous languages.
She thanked the inaugural lecturer for delivering a ‘rich’ lecture, even as she called on upcoming academics to tap from her wealth of knowledge.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.