By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Senior Correspondent Lagos

Nigeria’s telecoms service provider that prefers to be addressed as a caring brand, 9mobile, has lent its voice to the global call to adopt technology for multilingual learning. The telco provider made the call to mark this year’s International Mother Language Day with the theme, Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: Challenges and Opportunities”.

The year’s theme underscores the vital role of technology in advancing multilingual education and supports the development of quality teaching and learning for all.

Commenting on the significance of the theme, Executive Director, Regulator, and Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Mallam Abdulrahman Ado, noted that using technology to enhance the learning of languages would ensure equitable and inclusive education for all. He said, “Language sustains every society. Sadly, we have seen the gradual extinction of many ethnic languages over the years. Technology has the power to protect and preserve linguistic diversity. As a company committed to the advancement of education, we are proud to support and promote multilingual learning through the application of technology.”

Speaking further on the annual event, Ado noted that beyond the fact that language was a key expression of people’s culture, it was one of the driving forces of national development. According to him, language supported societal cohesion, which was a basis for economic growth. “This is why at 9mobile, we see the fostering of learning as a human capital investment”, he stated.

9mobile has recently initiated many education-related initiatives, with teachers and students benefitting directly. One of such initiatives is the ongoing Bichi digital skill acquisition programme designed to equip students with relevant technology to advance their academic careers and prepare them for the journey into the world of entrepreneurship.

The International Mother Language Day is set aside by UNESCO to promote the preservation and protection of all languages, which is in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal thrust of leaving no one behind when it comes to language and multilingual learning. It is believed that multilingual education based on mother tongue is a critical component of inclusion in teaching and learning.