Dear Nigerians, 

Let's preserve our indigenous languages. In 1973/75, during my first two years in primary school, all subjects were taught in the indigenous language in Nigeria. When I got to primary three, the English language was introduced to me. The knowledge I acquired through the indigenous language made it easy to understand English.

When I got to secondary school, the school authority tagged the indigenous language as Vernacular. So we were banned from speaking it on the school premises. Therefore, some students stopped talking in their native languages because they were scared of being punished or humiliated.

This rule applies today in many schools across Nigeria.

My classmate was down with malaria. Our teacher asked her what happened, and the girl answered my body, "My body, My body. Your body, Your body, What happened to it? The girl answered, 'My body is just shaking 'pe-pe-pe'. The teacher started making jest of her instead of correcting her.

I witnessed a mother slapping a six-year-old boy after greeting her in the Yoruba language and also warned him never to speak to her in Yoruba again.

Punishing or humiliating children for speaking an indigenous language is uncalled for because a child can't choose their parents or place of birth. 

Our language is our IDENTITY. We must not let it die. 

We can only be identified by our language. If it goes into extinction, definitely there would be no tribe to be addressed as Hausa, Yoruba, Nupe, Jukun, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ebira anymore. If we speak our language, we better understand ourselves, and greatness will follow.

Sign my petition to get the Education Minister Adamu Adamu to:

Make at least one indigenous language a core subject requirement like English language and mathematics to gain admission into our tertiary institutions.

It will also ensure that primary and secondary schools teach students indigenous languages and encourage more parents to speak them to their children.

It will go a long way in preserving and saving our identity as tribes or a nation.

Again, our language is our identity. Share my petition to preserve Nigeria's languages.

Great nations UK, USA, France, China, and Japan are great because they speak their languages and understand themselves. Our academic sector is the number one channel that can be used to save our indigenous languages.

I'm Oluwatoyin Bello.

#MyLanguageMyIdentity.