Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Arabic language can play a huge role in promoting and facilitate global peace and development.
The minister disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja during an Arabic language workshop organized by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Abuja to commemorate the United Nation’s World Arabic Day.
The Minister described the event as very instructive, given the current global interest in the establishment of new diplomatic rapprochement between and among nations and the renewed zeal to combat violent extremism and promote pluralism and multiculturalism.
He said Arabic language experts continue to provide the intellectual capital that has incentivized development and progress in all spheres of national development.
“In other words, the Arabic language is one of the ancient and earliest-known languages to mankind. It is unique and renowned for its rich diglossia, and employed on a daily basis as a medium of spiritual and theistic interactions between God and adherents of Islam, who number 1.8 billion,” he said.
In his remarks, the Ambassador of UAE to Nigeria, Dr Fahad Al Taffaq, said the Arabic Language remains a pillar of cultural diversity for humanity as the language is used daily by more than 400 million people across 25 countries, with over 10, including Nigeria, in Africa.
He said the Embassy has shown continuous commitment to promoting cultural and interfaith tolerance in Nigeria, through various initiatives such as the Essay Competition on tolerance it organized for secondary school students in Abuja, the UAE-Nigeria Cultural and Arts Exhibition it hosted in Lagos this year and the Interfaith Tolerance Dialogue it organized for religious and cultural leaders.
The World Arabic Language Day featured a paper presentation by the Director, Nigerian Centre for Arabic Research, Prof. Elkhidiru Abdul Baaq Mohammed, and Dr Tahir Fayez Abdelaal of the Faculty of Art, University of Abuja.
Suzan O
