Facebook To Embrace More Nigerian Languages- Zuckerberg

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has pledged to use more Nigerian languages in offering services on Facebook.

Zuckerberg, who is currently on a business visit to Nigeria, made the promise at a meeting with software developers and ICT entrepreneurs on Wednesday in Lagos.

He said the social media platform currently allows the use of Hausa language on Facebook.

“I am glad we support Hausa and we are planning on supporting a lot more languages soon.’’

Zuckerberg also expressed his willingness to work with local content providers in bringing Nigerian communities to the internet.

He said that having local contents on the Facebook platform would ensure that more people were connected.

According to him, in the next 10 to 15 years, Facebook hopes to get everyone in the world connected online.

Zuckerberg is currently meeting with developers, entrepreneurs and startups.

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Don Urges FG To Empower Varsities To Compile Data Of Nigerian Languages

Prof. Andrew Haruna, the General Secretary, Linguistics Association of Nigeria, has urged the Federal Government to empower universities to carry out survey on Nigerian languages.

 

Haruna of the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Jos, gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that Nigeria has over 500 languages, but that only 232 of them have some elements of data, while others are not traceable owing to lack of statistical data.
“We can have a comprehensive data by empowering the various universities in the various zones and states to carry out surveys.
“For example, the Ministry of Information and Culture can vote certain amount of money to the University of Jos to give it the statistics of exact languages in Plateau,’’ he said.
The don said that the ministry can mandate its own coordinator who will now work with professors within the university.
“So, the university is working as expert and the coordinator will monitor how the ministry’s money is being used and at the end of the day, the result presented,’’ Haruna said.
The don said one of the best ways of obtaining a comprehensive data of Nigerian languages was through National Census.
He added that Nigeria could also compile comprehensive data of its indigenous languages through the National Identity Card registration.

 

(NAN)