Language and Culture as Instruments for National Economic Advancement in Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine how language and culture can be used as instruments for national economic advancement in Nigeria. This is based on the numerous important roles played by language and culture in human society. The paper adopted the theoretical views of Stubbs and Durkheim in discussing the functions of language in the society and the dynamics of culture; where people’s relationships predominate over individualism. It examines the contemporary socio- economic challenges facing the country and how they can be tackled through the instrumentalities of language and culture. The paper submits that indigenous languages and the people’s culture can serve as panacea to the numerous challenges facing the country. However, failure to romanticize our language and culture results in the neglect of the very effective tools for national advancement. To proffer a lasting solution to the nation’s socio-economic and political challenges, the paper recommends a paradigm shift from the crude notion of portraying Nigerian languages and cultures as local, undeveloped, uncreative and inefficient to quintessential elements needed for the nation’s advancement