Nigeria’s external broadcaster, Voice of Nigeria is set to collaborate with a Translation foundation in Qatar to enhance linguistic diversity, peace, and international understanding.
The collaboration was agreed upon during a courtesy visit by the Sheikh Hamad Award and International Understanding to the Director General Voice of Nigeria, at the Broadcasting House, Ikoyi, Lagos , South-West, Nigeria.
The award emphasises translations of Arabic works into Yoruba and Yoruba into Arabic language aiming to promote the cultural heritages of Qatar and Nigeria.
Incentive
Winners of the Arabic works into Yoruba language will be given 2 millon dollars.
The Yoruba language was choosen as a result of avalance of research works translated from Arabic into Yoruba and the recognition accorded the language as one of the foremost indigenous languages in the world recognised by UNESCO.
The team lead of the foundation and a former lecturer at the University of Qatar, Dr. Anan Al Fayad, while emphasising the importance of promoting translation and international understanding, said the Sheikh Ahmad Award, previously focused on languages such as Hausa and French, now extends opportunities to Yoruba researchers.
Dr. Al Fayad stated that the world stands to benefit from knowledge of diverse languages, histories, and cultures.
Bilingual understanding
Advocating for peace through linguistic exchange, Dr. Al Fayad called for the expansion of bilingual understanding, particularly between Arabic and other languages worldwide.
In his words: “the foundation continues to broaden its scope annually, with translations ranging from Arabic to English, English to Arabic, French to Arabic, Arabic to French, and now Yoruba to Arabic, aiming for either comprehensive volumes or substantial single works.”
The award extends to achievements within the humanities and social sciences, with publications within the last five years, while lifetime accomplishments remain open-ended.
In response to the collaboration, Director of Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Baba Ndache expressed gratitude for the foundation’s recognition.
He commended the Qatar government and the Middle East for their transformative impact on global media landscapes.
Ndache underscored language as a conduit for cultural exchange and peacebuilding, highlighting Nigeria’s pivotal role as a linguistic hub.
Encouraging the foundation’s inclusivity, he suggested consideration of other Nigerian languages, such as Igbo for the next award.
Emphasising VON’s historical mandate to tell Africa’s narrative, Ndache welcomed expanded collaboration beyond language translation, advocating for joint initiatives in training and media exchange programmes to combat fake news and disinformation.
He affirmed VON’s commitment to supporting the foundation, Nigeria, and the wider Middle East in fostering mutual understanding and accurate representation.
“I will like to work together with various foundations and willing to partner with everyone that is willing to partner with us in order to fight against fake news and disinformation. “
Ndache reiterated VON’s readiness to serve as a strategic partner in advancing the foundation’s objectives and promoting cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation.
Lateefah Ibrahim
