The African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) is scheduled to hold a consultative meeting with it's working structures and member state in Lome, Togo.

The meeting which is expected to take place from the 2nd to 5th October, is aimed at developing language policies in line with the Assembly's Language Plan of Action for Africa (LPAA) - an organ saddled with the responsibility of promoting national, regional and continental linguistic unity in Africa while also encouraging greater use of African languages as official languages and languages of instruction especially in the education sector.

The meeting is expected among other things to deliberate on ways of perfecting modalities of implementing the Language Plan of Action for Africa, strengthen partnership with member states and offer clarity on the role of member states in ACALAN's language development initiatives. Issues relating to vehicular cross-border language commission and the operation of the National Language Structures is also expected to be part of the discuss.

Those expected to grace the workshop include ACALAN Acting Executive Secretary- Dr. Lang Fafa Dampha; Senior Programme & Project Officer- Dr. B.J Ojo; President, ACALAN Assembly of Academician - Prof. Sammy Beban Chumbow; Secretary Mandenkan VCL Commission - Prof. Alou Keita; National Structure(focal point) - Prof. Timothee Mukash Kalel; Prof. E Dandaura; Prof. Sheila Mmusi; ICT expert & MD CEOAfrica- Cletus Ilobanafor; and others.

ACALAN is an arm of the African Union responsible for fostering Africa's integration and development through the development and promotion of the use of African languages.

By Ayedero Victor