Abstract:
In today’s world, societal development is often conceived as material transformation, economic growth, and industrialization, among others. However, in recent years, development as a concept defined in relation to a nation or a country’s socio-economic existence is seen to be much more than material transformation as represented, usually, by the increase in a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the level of external reserves, foreign direct investment (FDI) or the height of a country’s industrialization. According to Kinge’i (2000: 26-27), citing Blackler (1983), development involves not just accelerated economic growth but also changes in traditional structures, values, and practices.
Description:
I will like to begin this paper from the perspective of the role that I think a linguist could or should play as a citizen who demonstrates concern regarding the challenges confronting Nigeria in its development in the 21st century. As noted by Kinge’i (2000:27), language and culture play a vital part in shaping individual and collective behaviors and values. It is these individuals, as citizens or a people, that impact the physical, geographical, political, or social environments they find themselves as a collective. In other words, we as individuals or as a collective do, in the different roles that we play, participate in contributing to growing, changing, or transforming our society. In this paper, I draw, largely, from the studies I had conducted on some of the language-related social issues that constitute challenges to Nigeria’s development and some of the solutions proffered.
