In order to promote the preservation of the language and promote its use among students, Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) has incorporated the Yoruba language into its General Nigeria Studies (GNS) curriculum.
Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, the institution’s vice chancellor, revealed this information in an interview. This follows the Lagos State Government’s adoption of a bill on August 8, 2018, to protect and advance Yoruba language within its academic institutions.
The law requires that all postsecondary institutions run by the Lagos State Government have Yoruba Language as part of their GNS curriculum.
“It is a compulsory course for both 100 and 200-level students, and they must pass it before they graduate.
“Immediately we transmuted into a university, the senate of the institution approved the teaching of Yoruba Language 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,” she said. Lafiaji-Okuneye added that the 100-level students at the university had been taught, examined and graded on the course.
“Lecturers teaching Yoruba Language created innovative ways to teach their students to capture their interest. “In the last admission process, we had to move some candidates interested in studying English Language to Yoruba Language because of the population.
“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 to become game changers in preserving the language among children and students,” she said.