The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, has described language as a fundamental instrument for constructing meaning, organising human experience, preserving memory and imagining the future.
Prof. Uduma stated this on Wednesday while declaring open the 37th Annual Conference of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), held at the NOUN Headquarters in Abuja.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was the Chief Host at the conference, said language extends beyond its conventional role as a means of communication, stressing its profound influence on human experience and society.
“Language is not merely a vehicle for carrying thoughts that already exist. It is one of the principal instruments through which human beings construct meaning, organise experience, preserve memory and imagine the future.
“To study language, therefore, is to study humanity itself,” Prof. Uduma said.
He said the issue was particularly significant in Nigeria, given the country’s extraordinary linguistic diversity, noting that indigenous languages serve as custodians of history, culture and knowledge systems.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted the changing landscape of education, observing that conventional models were increasingly being complemented by emerging approaches, including Open and Distance Learning (ODL), which universities that once questioned the model are now embracing.
Prof. Uduma welcomed participants on behalf of the Governing Council, Senate, Management, staff and students of NOUN, describing the conference as an important platform for examining how societies learn, name and preserve the world they inhabit.
The conference, themed “Language Policy, Power and Practice in Multilingual Nigeria,” has attracted scholars, researchers, teachers, postgraduate students, traditional leaders and other stakeholders from across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the National Executive Council of LAN, the newly elected National President of the association, Prof. Gideon Omachonu, said the theme provided an opportunity to examine the complex relationship between language, education, governance, identity, national integration, technology and development.
He said the conference would also seek practical approaches capable of informing policy and generating wider societal impact.
“This conference provides an important platform for us to examine these issues critically and to propose practical actions that can aid development, inform policy and impact society,” Omachonu said.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research, Prof. Christine Ofulue, commended the Local Organising Committee for producing a comprehensive working document for the conference.
She urged participants to engage constructively, stressing that the success of the gathering should be measured not only by attendance but also by the quality of conversations initiated, knowledge generated, collaborations established and impact achieved beyond the conference.
The week-long conference features keynote addresses, paper presentations and panel discussions focusing on the place of Nigerian languages in education, governance and technology.
The 37th LAN Conference was also dedicated to the memory of distinguished professors and fellows of the association who have passed away.
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