In her bid to respond to the myriads of challenges and threats facing the preservation and survival of the Yorùbá culture and language, a Yoruba cultural advocacy, Àtẹ́lẹwọ́ has called on Government to make policies that will advance the growth and development of Yoruba language.
This was disclosed by the duo, who established the group, Ọ̀rẹ́dọlá Ibrahim and Rasaq Malik at a press conference celebrating the 5th year anniversary of promoting cultural values, drive dialogues among the youth and preserve Yoruba culture and literature.
In their words, “Government needs to do more for yoruba, many of the books being imported into the countries are foreign language based as french, chinese and the likes. Hence, the government must ensure that our local languages, most especially Yoruba are allowed to thrive in this space”
“Government should also invest into the language, by sponsoring yoruba literatures and personnel who are ready to promote the languages. They need to make meaningful policies that will make the Yoruba language thrive amidst other languages”
Furthermore, the duo also lamented on how lawmakers sponsor bills and make laws on promoting yoruba, but any of the law will not enforced at any angle. They identify this as a force drawing yoruba backwards.
“Government should not just make these laws, it is easy to lobby to make these laws, but the problem is about enforcing. Look at our schools and you will see the state at which Yoruba speaking is, as they are being penalized for speaking the language”
The group while highlighting some of it projects and activities in the last five years which includes publishing of a Yorùbá Literary anthology titled “ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PÉLÉBÉ”, organising the group’s first Yoruba Literary and Cultural Conference at the University of Ibadan, launching the very first online Yoruba literary magazine and Atelewo Bookshop and host of others
Also, in line with their goals and objectives, the group also launched an her annual ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PRIZE FOR YORÙBÁ LITERATURE in 2020, a competition open to unpublished writers working in Yorùba ́language, where cash prizes, plagues and book prizes are won.
ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́, a platform for the documentation and preservation of Yorùba ́ancient knowledge, culture, and language founded on the 1st of June, 2017 by Ọ̀rẹ́dọlá Ibrahim and Rasaq Malik, both graduates of the University of Ibadan.
