9mobile, Nigeria’s telecoms service provider and caring brand, has joined the global appeal to utilize technology for multilingual learning. The telecommunications company made the announcement to commemorate this year’s International Mother Language Day with the topic “Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: Challenges and Opportunities.”
The theme for this year emphasizes the critical role of technology in developing multilingual education and promotes the development of high-quality teaching and learning for all.
Mallam Abdulrahman Ado, Executive Director, Regulator, and Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, commented on the theme’s significance, stating that leveraging technology to improve language learning will promote equitable and inclusive education for all. “Language sustains every society,” he stated. Unfortunately, many ethnic languages have been gradually fading out over the years. Language diversity can be protected and preserved via technology. As a corporation dedicated to educational growth, we are happy to support and promote multilingual learning through the use of technology.”
Speaking further on the annual event, Ado noted that beyond the fact that language is a key expression of people’s culture, it is one of the driving forces of national development. According to him, language supports societal cohesion, which is a basis for economic growth. “This is why at 9mobile, we see the fostering of learning as a human capital investment”, he stated.
9mobile has recently initiated many education-related initiatives, with teachers and students benefitting directly. One of such initiatives is the ongoing Bichi digital skill acquisition program designed to equip students with relevant technology to advance their academic careers and prepare them for the journey into the world of entrepreneurship.
The International Mother Language Day is set aside by UNESCO to promote the preservation and protection of all languages, which is in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal thrust of leaving no one behind when it comes to language and multilingual learning. It is believed that multilingual education based on mother tongue is a critical component of inclusion in teaching and learning.