Over the years, civilization occasioned by improvement in technology has come into been and has modified the way people do things and how they live their lives. Effects of civilization has been felt in all industries and every part of the world.

Africa has not been left out either, civilization has changed a lot of things mostly for the better. It has really touched our lives, our culture, religion, education, politics, commerce just name it.

Directly or indirectly it has also had a major influence on our language. From childhood to early adult life, one tends to spend most of their productive part of the day in schools (for those that pass through the school system). It is general knowledge that most of our schools in Africa today, basically use English or French in educating the child. This goes on till he or she gets out of school. The individual thus gradually loses affinity for his or her local or indigenous language. This has been the routine in most parts of the African continent and has gone on for years unchecked. Our indigenous African languages have therefore been under-used with some at the risk of extinction.

It soon became evident that African languages needed saving and then came African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), a linguistic arm of the African Union. Since its inception, the Academy has been consciously seeking to revert this trend.

The current executives of the ACALAN led by Dr. Lang Fafa Dampha upon assumption of office have giving more life to this effort of promoting and developing African languages back to its glory days. Dr. Dampha led executive have carefully drafted the Academy’s program towards achieving this purpose. He has brought his wealth of experience to bear to ensure all members of his team channel their efforts in achieving a common goal of developing African languages, using them as a tool for Africa’s integration and development.

With Dr. Dampha at the helm of ACALAN, the Academy has also been repositioned to actually enable it execute its lofty goals not only at the level of policy and decision making but also at the grass root level where those policies are implemented.

He and his team continue to make concerted efforts to ensure greater use of African languages in all domain of life especially in our education system.

Better days surely lies ahead for indigenous African languages as ACALAN’s programs unfold. Success in the quest for the development of African languages and indeed the integration and development of the African continent is inevitable and Dr. Dampha would be central to that.