…announces dedication on Nov 3

By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

The Bible Society of Nigeria, BSN has announced the completion of full translation of the Bible in Okun language within five years, even as it announced the dedication which would take place on November 3, 2022, in Kogi State.

Speaking at a media briefing, General Secretary/ Chief Executive, BSN, Pastor Samuel Sanusi, said that the Okun language bible translation has broken the global record of bible translation which was previously held for completing the translation of Igala common language bible in 11 years, saying: “The United Bible Societies, UBS had set a target of 12 years for the completion of any translation project which has not been achieved by any country except the BSN.”

Okun is a language spoken in Kogi, Kwara, and Ekiti States respectively and the speakers of the language referred to as the Okun people are one of the Yoruba major ethnic groups. Okun is a dialect of the Yoruba Language and Okun people are currently spread across Kabba-Bunu, Yagba-West, Yagba-East, Mopa-Moro, Ijumu, and Lokoja Local Government Areas, they have Kith and Kin in Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti States.

Sanusi explained that the journey to publishing the Okun bible began when one of the senior staff members of the BSN expressed his desire for the Okun people to have it, even if it was only the book of Romans in their mother tongue.

He said that the staff planned to sponsor the translation of the book, but another individual with whom the former had no prior discussion, also expressed the desire that the complete bible in Okun be published for the use of the Okun people.

His words: “A stakeholders meeting was organized to discuss the project. Over 40 people attended the first meeting in the Okun bible translation held on 19th September 2015 at First Baptist Church Ayetoro-Gbede. On 10th May 2016, the Okun Christian community and the BSN signed a memorandum of understanding. That same day, a new office of the Okun bible language translation project in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State was also dedicated.

“It was built by one of the individuals who supported the project while another illustrious son of the Okun paid the translators salaries for the period,” he said.

However, Sanusi urged the government at all levels to make effort to preserve languages by enforcing their usage, especially in schools.

He said: “Our language is our identity and an integral part of our culture. By translating the bible into Nigerian languages, we are helping to preserve the language and culture of our people.”

Meanwhile, the dedication of the additional 77 Chronological Bible Stories in the Nigerian Sign Language for the deaf community in Nigeria is scheduled for November 26, 2022, at the Bible Guest House Research and Development Centre, Ibadan.

“With this, we have completed a total of 222 Chronological Bible Stories. It has not been easy but God has been our help. It is only the United States of America that has the full bible in sign language in the world and it was achieved in 2020 after 38 years. We are trusting God that a time will come when the deaf in Nigeria will have the full bible in the Nigerian sign language.

“We have again emerged as the global leader in English bible distribution. According to the global bible distribution statistics published by the UBS the BSN achieved this feat having distributed 1,145,232 printed copies of the English Bible in 2021 which represents an increase of 28 percent from the distribution figure of 897,116 copies with which we led the world in 2020,” he said.