Continuing efforts to protect, preserve and promote Yoruba language, education commissioners in the southwest, Kwara and Kogi States and other key players will meet in Ibadan, Oyo State, on March 3.
The Yoruba World Centre, an initiative of the publisher of Alaaroye, Alao Adedayo and launched by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last November, is organising the meeting alongside Oodua Investment Plc and DAWN Commission.
Adedayo, the Group Managing Director of Oodua, Adewale Raji and DG of Dawn Commission, Seye Oyeleye, will join others, including Chairmen of ALGON and Chairpersons of Committee on education in the Southwest, Kwara and Kogi Houses of Assembly to discuss the forthcoming annual Yoruba Language Millionaire Contest.
The competition aims to re-orientate Yoruba youths hooked to western life. It is for secondary schools in all Yoruba speaking states.
President and Secretary of the Yoruba Secondary School Teachers Association, Egbe Akomolede, the President of Yoruba Studies Association (YSAN) and the Managing Director of University Press Limited will also be part of the meeting.
The Organisers disclosed in a statement: “We have gotten in touch with all the commissioners, holding meetings personally with some of them, and they are so glad to have a meeting where such promotion of the Yoruba language will be discussed to have it used as a tool for development, nation-building, youth empowerment, national unity and peaceful co-existence.
“The meeting is going to serve as a hub for Yoruba language development, where institutional backing shall be given to efforts from scholars and private sectors to the promotion of Yoruba language, re-establishing it as a language of commerce and development.”