INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES, ORAL LITERATURE AND CRITICAL LITERACY IN DEMOCRATISATION PROCESSES

Abstract

This study explores the judicious deployment of indigenous languages
(henceforth, ILs) and oral literature (henceforth, OL) for the
attainment of democratisation through critical literacy among
individuals and groups. It is anchored on Freire’s Theory of Critical
Literacy, which seeks individual’s and group’s development of a critical
consciousness as ‘conscientisation’ that gets rid of socio-political
constructions of indoctrination in society like Nigeria. Data are drawn
from observation, focus group discussion and the Internet and library
print materials. Based on its qualitative approach, content and thematic
analyses are employed. The analysis proves that when not neglected but
used judiciously, ILs and OL aptly serve as viable mechanisms for
creating and achieving true democratisation vis-à-vis democracy in
Nigeria through the instrumentality of critical literacy. The paper
concludes that borne not for their unharnessed potential,
endangerment and attrition, our indigenous knowledge systems are
viable mechanisms for finding tangible solutions to our nationhood
problems and for pursuing and attaining new world orders, as in
democratisation cum democracy. It calls for a change of attitude
towards our ILs, OL and other indigenous systems.