Embracing local African languages in radio

One of the key challenges for communication in West Africa is the sheer number of languages. In Burkina Faso, for instance, with a population of just over 10 million, 71 languages are spoken; Togo’s population of four million speak 43 different languages.

But the broadcast and print media (as well as education systems) are mainly in the countries’ official languages: English or French.

The erosion of African culture – of which language is a crucial part - has a major impact on people’s sense of identity. For the most marginalised people, who do not speak the official languages, exclusion from much media and communication is a very real practical problem.

In a small but significant way, Panos West Africa has tried to address this issue by producing radio programmes in two of the most widely-spoken African languages: Peul (also known as Pulaar or Fulfulde) and Haussa. The projects aim to promote cultural and linguistic diversity, and to give voice to marginalised citizens.

Peul is spoken by groups in Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, while Haussa is the first language of an estimated 24 million people, primarily in Niger and northern Nigeria.

The Peul project has so far produced nearly 50 programmes about aspects of Peul society and the diaspora. They have been distributed for broadcast to more than 90 radio stations in the region, many of which are in rural areas and have few resources.

It is a daily challenge for their staff – who tend not to have qualifications and don’t speak French - to produce quality programmes. We are therefore developing a manual for radio trainers, designed to build the skills of Peul broadcasters to produce their own radio material.

The Haussa project, in Niger, has been similarly successful. We have collaborated with local NGOs and theatre groups to produce three 25-programme series on human rights, democracy and conflict prevention. These have been broadcast by 16 radio stations.

The programmes have proved popular with radio stations: they cover serious and relevant topics, and often serve as a focal point for other local-language programming. They have also been a hit with audiences, meeting a thirst for information, especially about their culture and traditions.

This feature is published by courtesy of Panos.org