Organisers of ‘Raise Children Speaking Their Mother’s Tongue’ competition, designed to encourage indigenous languages among Nigerian children, have splashed N2.9 million on top three winning students and their teachers.

The competition was organised by Shelta Impact Programme (SIP) in collaboration with Printrite Foundation for Sustainable Environment and Education (PFSEE).

The CEO of SIP, Austin Igwe who made the disclosure in Abuja at the launch of the competition, said the competition is for children aged between six and 12 years, adding that first prize money is N1 million while the second and third place winners will go home with N500,000 and N300,000 respectively.

Igwe who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Stanley Odum said, “We are organising a mother tongue competition for school children, aged 06-12 and the first position will get N1 million with the coach (teacher), getting N500,000, the second position will get N500,000 with the coach getting 250,000 and the third position will get N300,000 and the coach will get N150,000.

“It’s our own way of encouraging the students to speak their mother’s tongue and also reward their teachers who will coach them. All they need to do is to download the Shelta app and register with a video clip of the child saying something in their mother’s tongue.

“We have categorised the games to the mother tongue and from waste to wealth. So, the mother tongue is to see children who have the ability to speak the mother tongue. The other one is creativity, where we see the child who is able to create from waste to wealth.”

The Programme Coordinator, PFSEE, Esther Afar stated that, “This project is built on a simple belief, every Nigerian child is a superkid, regardless of your background or circumstance.”

She said a superkids carry their mother tongue with pride, see opportunity where others see waste, and view the future with creativity, confidence and purpose.

“That is why, at today’s launch, we are introducing two inspiring challenges; the live mother tongue challenge, because our indigenous languages, from Hausa to Igbo, to Yoruba, and beyond, are the heartbeat of our identity and heritage. Our children will show that brilliance shines brightest when it is rooted in culture.

“We are nurturing eco-warriors who transform problems into solutions, and waste into value. What you see today is only the beginning. Superkids is where we start,” she said.

A school teacher from Government Science Secondary School, Tunga Maje Abuja. Mr. Umar Abu, said students will learn and understand better if they are being taught in their mother’s tongue.

He said, “When students speak their mother tongue, the first thing is that they understand better what is being taught.

“They comprehend more. The actual thing you want them to learn, they comprehend more. And they are able to also give a good result out of whatever they’ve learned because it’s in their own language.

“And sincerely speaking, there’s no better way to keep the children, you know, both academic and in other areas, better than using their mother tongue.

“You can see countries like China, Russia and other foreign countries that use their language, Russia has advanced in technology.”

In her remarks, one of the participants in the mother tongue competition Faith Zirra of Redeemers Private Secondary School Living Spring, Karu Site, Abuja, who won the competition said, “I feel happy and great because when I was in school, some of my classmates always told me I could not speak Hausa. I’m just dumb. And I’m here to prove that I can speak Hausa more than them.”

When asked if she would like to be taught in her mother tongue and if it will enhance her learning, she responded in the affirmative.