Bureau of Ghana Languages Rejects Calls For Indigenous Language As National Language, Backs English

The Bureau of Ghana Languages has rejected growing calls for the adoption of an indigenous Ghanaian language as the country’s national language, insisting that English must remain the official national language.

The position was made known by the Executive Secretary of the Bureau, Ebenezer Ahiator, when he appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Chieftaincy, Culture and Religious Affairs.

According to Mr. Ahiator, maintaining English as the national language is a deliberate policy to foster national unity and to prevent any perception of superiority or inferiority among Ghana’s numerous local languages.

He explained that elevating one local language above others to the status of a national language could create ethnic tensions and undermine the equal recognition of the country’s diverse linguistic heritage.

Mr. Ahiator noted that Ghana has over 80 indigenous languages, and the Bureau’s mandate is to promote and develop all of them without discrimination.

He added that English, as a neutral lingua franca, continues to serve as a unifying medium of communication in governance, education and national discourse.

The Committee is currently engaging stakeholders in the cultural and language sectors as part of efforts to strengthen policies on culture and heritage preservation.

By Deborah Adorsu