AU Urged to Put African Languages and Culture at the Heart of Integration

Dr.Lang Fafa Dampha

A new policy call warns that Africa’s unity project will falter unless the African Union embeds the continent’s own languages, cultural values, and indigenous knowledge into governance, education, and development. Experts say that mother-tongue learning, grassroots engagement, and traditional knowledge systems are vital for sustainable growth—key goals under Agenda 2063. From the early days of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU) of today, Africa’s integration drive has too often sidelined its greatest assets—its languages, cultures, and indigenous knowledge systems—in favour of externally imported models of governance and development. While initiatives such as the Inter-African Bureau of Languages and the African Academy of Languages were created to promote African languages as tools of unity, their impact has been hampered by limited institutional commitment and resources. This neglect, rooted in colonial legacies, has left governance, education, and economic planning disconnected from Africa’s diverse identities and priorities. Experts argue that genuine integration demands a fundamental shift: embedding African languages and cultural values at the heart of policy, governance, and education. Mother-tongue instruction, for instance, boosts learning outcomes and civic participation, while cultural industries—such as Nollywood and African music—generate jobs, strengthen identity, and project African creativity globally. Indigenous knowledge, from traditional farming to water conservation, offers proven, sustainable solutions to local challenges. When integrated with modern science and supported by African research institutions, these systems can drive innovation and resilience. Grassroots participation is equally critical. Policies co-designed with communities, in their own languages, ensure local ownership, enhance social cohesion, and align development with lived realities—key goals under the AU’s Agenda 2063. As Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, warned, Africa’s political and economic liberation cannot be complete without cultural revival. For the AU, reclaiming and institutionalising Africa’s languages, cultural values, and indigenous knowledge is not symbolic—it is the cornerstone of a self-determined, sustainable, and united future.