Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved the reintroduction of Edo languages in schools.
He said the policy aims to preserve cultural identity and promote indigenous learning across the state.
Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved the reintroduction of Edo languages into the state’s school curriculum to promote cultural identity and support indigenous learning.
The governor made this known during a courtesy visit by members of the Esan Okpa Initiative at Government House, Benin City. According to a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the move reflects the administration’s wider plan to revive education and preserve local values.
Okpebholo explained that his government is focused on improving learning conditions across schools in the state. He said the education ministry had been directed to provide more desks and chairs, renovate classrooms, fence schools, and install boreholes, toilets, and solar-powered lights to create a better learning environment.
He also revealed plans to enhance digital literacy through a school access program that allows pupils to gain practical computer experience. The governor emphasized the importance of preserving local languages, urging families and communities to help children learn and speak their native tongues. “We will reintroduce vernacular into our school system. Every tribe should learn and speak its native tongue so that no language goes into extinction,” he stated.
In his remarks, the President of the Esan Okpa Initiative, Mathew Egbadon, praised Okpebholo for prioritizing culture and education. He expressed concern that the Esan language is gradually disappearing among young people, calling for immediate efforts to protect it.
Egbadon encouraged the state government to ensure that the initiative aligns with the 2022 National Language Policy, which requires the use of indigenous languages for instruction in the first six years of primary education. He said reintroducing Edo languages into schools would help restore the state’s cultural heritage and strengthen identity among future generations.
