By Gbegbe Sunday in Abuja
The Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC),in Collaboration with the Centre for Gbagyi Language Development (CGLD) says it has concluded plans to ensure the harmonized version of standard Gbagyi Language Orthography is taught from Primary to Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretarr of NERDC, Professor Ismail Junaidu, stated this while responding to questions at the Gbagyi Language Orthography, writing, critique 6-day editing workshop in Abuja.
Junaidu assured the Centre for Gbagyi Language Development Centre about the Agency’s willingness to provide professional and intellectual expertise and guidelines towards achieving its set goal.
According to the Executive Secretary, Gbagyi Language is very significant as any other Nigerian Language,as entrenched in the National Policy on Education, adding that the Council is trying to get Nigerian Languages recognised for social and political development in the Country.
Junaidu implored the resource persons and stakeholders at the workshop to bring their expertise to bear adequately, on the harmonised and updating of the Gbagyi Language Orthography.
The Chairman, Centre for Gbagyi Language Development (CGLD), Arc. Andrew Gaza, said the project would go beyond Orthography, adding that efforts would be made to include development of the curriculum which would serve people from elementary level to tertiary level of education in the country.
He revealed that the workshop, which includes intellectuals and stakeholders from the education sector, would develop relevant education materials that will preserve Gbagyi Language from extinction.
Gaza said the workshop dealt with the writing, the critique, and editorial, coming up with a harmonised Orthography of Gbagyi Language, which will lead to preparing a curriculum to work with Federal Ministry of Education.
According to him, Local Education Authority, Basic Education and secondary education to commence teaching Gbagyi Language from Primary, secondary schools to tertiary Institutions will also be involved in the planned project.
He stressed the need for continuous and adequate funding of the project as well as the search for experts in Gbagyi Language, to ensure the bedrock for successful and uninterrupted project.
Stakeholders at the workshop called for unity among Gbagyis in Nigeria and for them to put aside political, dialectical, religious, regional differences to achieve a common goal.
