By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa—Politicians in the country have intensified lobbying the National Assembly for the consideration of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO, bill, which seeks the inclusion of indigenous languages in the new education policy.

The bill seeks to make it mandatory for indigenous languages to become official languages in the 36 states of the federation.

According to them, “lobbying the National Assembly through the region and state governors arose because they were convinced that NICO will promote cultural values among the coming generations.”
Permanent Secretary of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, Dr. Victoria Tekenah and Regional Coordinator of NICO, Mr. Mike Ekoko said during the first edition of Izon quiz challenge for Junior Secondary Schools in the state, organised by the South South Zonal office of  NICO, that there was need for  politicians and traditional rulers to support the campaign to make indigenous languages included in the new educational policy.
While the Bayelsa government through Dr. Tekanah, said the new educational curriculum had been developed in the state to enhance the development of the indigenous language in the schools, the Regional Coordinator of NICO, Mr. Ekoko, said the Ijaw quiz competition will be extended to other Izon speaking states to achieve the desired goal of preserving Izon cultural heritage through Izon language.
He said that efforts by NICO would be sustained through partnership with relevant government agencies to achieve a national policy on the adoption of indigenous languages for official activities as done in other developed economies.
Mr. Ekoko, said NICO had introduced different programmes and activities to sustain the sensitization and awareness among Nigerians on the need to promote the peoples’ culture.