Facilitating Technology Transfer for Sustainable Development through Indigenous-Language-Medium Education in Nigeria: a Synthesis of Research Findings

Abstract

The paper bemoans the poor knowledge about climate change, socio-economic and technological bankruptcy as well as lack of sustainable development that characterize the 21st century Nigerian society, a situation that is blamed on the disconnect from the technology-rich and truly empowering traditional education that can be carried on in Nigerian indigenous languages, with special focus on the Yoruba language. It also debunks the argument that technological subjects cannot be successfully taught or learnt in Nigerian languages. It rather proves from extant literature that technology transfer has eluded Nigeria so far because students are taught in a borrowed language that they have not been able to master adequately. It then advocates the promotion of indigenous-language-medium education, citing the scientific and technological exploits so far made by some world countries through indigenous-language-medium education as well as the phenomenal success of the popular Ife Six-Year Yoruba programme, the beneficiaries of which were proved to excel their colleagues, not only in science and technology courses but also the English Language.