The inaugural African language week is just around the corner. African Academy of languages, ACALAN had made a proposal for a week dedicated to mark African languages which was endorsed by African Ministers of Culture, Youths and Sports. At the specialized technical committee of Youths, Culture and Sport of the AU, the Ministers endorsed 24th to 30th of January as the week for African language.

This is indeed a remarkable feat for ACALAN, AU’s specialized institution charged with the development and promotion of African languages. This singular achievement will go a long way in helping ACALAN drive its mandate of empowering African languages and using them as factors of African integration and development.

African languages will be in the spotlight in the course of the African language week and deservedly so too. It will be a period where all Africans high and low from all works of life will be taking time to reflect on indigenous African languages, how the languages have fared over the years in comparison with other languages. It will also be time to take stock, assess the progress made, address limitations and seek means of improvement.

The African language week will also be a time to celebrate indigenous African languages, a time for all Africans to take pride in using their national languages. It is a special period to commemorate on our languages which is the nucleus of our culture, our heritage.

The African language week will also help to underline the importance of African languages to the sustainable development of the African continent. The need for greater usage of indigenous African languages will also come under the microscope as more and more Africans will need access to knowledge to enable them contribute to the development process of our beloved continent.

ACALAN working structures, Vehicular Cross Border Language Commissions across ACALAN member states are expected to organise programs to celebrate the African language week in their respective countries.