'Proud Because All Humans Are From Africa': Africa Indigenous Language Heroes

A bold movement is rising to combat the alarming decline of African indigenous languages—each one a vessel of history, identity, and cultural wisdom. Linguists, writers, activists, and communities are stepping up as modern-day heroes, employing innovative strategies to safeguard these linguistic treasures. Some revive fading tongues by crafting stories that bridge generations; others collaborate with governments to implement tech-driven and grassroots solutions.

In conversations with two figures of these champions, they reveal the roots of this crisis, their tireless efforts to promote native languages, and the urgent steps needed to ensure these voices endure. This is more than preservation—it’s a reclamation of Africa’s soul.

The dominance of colonial languages like English and French has accelerated the decline of African indigenous languages across generations, Samantha Nomaswazi Nunu, Director of Heart Flames Distributors, author, storyteller, and poet in indigenous languages, explained.

"We are all speaking English. Even as parents, we are now teaching our children to speak English so that they are able to communicate with a broader audience, and now we are forgetting our own language, and it's costly," Nunu commented.

To counter this existential threat, Africa must urgently decolonize its education systems and revitalize indigenous languages, Abobakr Mohamed Abbakar Khussein, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Contemporary Educational Technologies at Bauman Moscow State Technical University and polyglot, proposed.

"I argue that in order to make these languages come back and members to actively participate in the space, we need to consider things like decolonization of curriculums. Why not teach young generations in primary schools using their indigenous languages?" the polyglot said.

He emphasized that Africa’s identity is rooted in its extraordinarily rich cultural heritage, unparalleled linguistic and traditional diversity, and a strong sense of interconnectedness among humanity.

"The oldest civilizations on our Earth are found in Africa. Almost all people living now on Earth are originally from Africa, so that it is not difficult to understand why Africa is so rich in culture, language, and all these kinds of traditions. It is a continent of genius people, of talented individuals. I'm not proud of it because I'm African, but because all human beings are originally African," the specialist expressed.

Listen to our special episode, brought to you by Sputnik Africa. To find out more, visit our channel on Telegram.

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