ABSTRACT

Multilingualism in a multi-cultural setting could be a problem especially where there is a politics of winner takes all. It creates room for marginalisation especially where there is no functional system to check the excesses of the policy implementers. This study examines multilingualism and marginalisation in Nigeria politicisation. The specific objectives are to explore the different manifestations of marginalisation that underlie the concept of Nigeria entity as a result of multilingualism and to propose the danger inherent in allowing Nigeria multilingual diversity be a divisive criterion rather than being a uniting factor thereby mitigating multilingual discontent. Data are drawn from secondary sources such as textbooks, journal articles and theses. The study discovers that multilingualism that is misapplied is the harbinger of marginalisation and other ethnic conflicts in Nigeria. The findings of the paper also reveal that Northern Muslims have some advantages over their non-Muslim brothers because of their proclivity to the Arabic language. The study suggests that Nigeria’s multiple languages should be a blessing and not a curse. This research contributes to knowledge as it adapts Bodomo’s localised trilingualism to propose a model that can salvage Nigeria’s multilingual woes.

摘要

在多文化环境中使用多种语言可能是一个问题，尤其是在存在赢家通吃的政治环境中。它为边缘化创造了空间，特别是在没有功能系统来检查政策实施者的过度行为的情况下。本研究考察了尼日利亚政治化中的多种语言和边缘化。具体目标是探讨多语制导致尼日利亚实体概念背后的边缘化的不同表现，并提出允许尼日利亚多语种多样性成为分裂标准而不是团结因素从而减轻多语不满的内在危险。数据来自二级来源，例如教科书、期刊文章和论文。研究发现，误用的多语制是尼日利亚边缘化和其他种族冲突的预兆。该论文的研究结果还表明，北方穆斯林比他们的非穆斯林兄弟有一些优势，因为他们倾向于阿拉伯语。该研究表明，尼日利亚的多种语言应该是福而不是祸。这项研究有助于知识，因为它适应了 Bodomo 的本地化的三语制提出了一种可以挽救尼日利亚多语种困境的模式。