LANGUAGE PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA BROADCAST MEDIA

LANGUAGE PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA BROADCAST MEDIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0        Background to the Study

            This study focuses on the relationship between language and communication, how language can aid or destroy communication and cases of misuse of language in the Nigeria broadcast media.

            Communication is the sharing of experiences, ideas, thoughts, beliefs and notions that represents life. Language as a tool of exchanging idea and sharing of experience perfects communication and its importance cannot be overemphasized. Okunma (1996, p. 126) sees communication as a complex process of sharing information or a message which requires certain basic components. It is essential to conclude that communication is pervasive and a fundamental way by which human beings interact through language and other symbolic means.

            In Nigeria today, many people believe in listening to, and watching electronic media but they do not really believe in the message that is being passed across. This is because in most programmes, the presenters do not pass meaningful messages to their audience, most of their programmes are for fun and enjoyment. Due to this, it is not interesting to the audience.

            Language use is very important in the field of communication, without language, we cannot understand the message properly. In Nigeria broadcast media, language has not been properly treated or used accordingly. Most presenters do make the mistake of using different words especially in indigenous programmes. A very few of them can speak indigenous languages throughout their programmes without co-mixing or switching into English language. This habit always creates confusion among the listeners and it leads to the loss of the content of the message being passed across.

            For instance, use of the English language during a Yoruba programme may lead to misconception of the content by the listener. As Pearson et al (2003, p. 4) explains that“language used in a specialized way may be an obstacle to communication and it may add beauty to the understanding of the message. Hence, effective communication require concerted effort on the part of the message encoder, the appropriate choice of words, correct contextual application and simplicity”, as Scanell (1991, p. 46) points out that “communicators must affiliate to the situation of their audience and align their behaviour with those circumstances.”

1.1       Language Problem in Nigeria and its Effects on Broadcast Media

            There is no gainsaying that people use language to enhance communication. At times, someone would say something and people would give different meanings to it, whereas communication is regarded as complete and whole; hence the response provided by the receiver is equal to the intention of the sender.

            The English language became the official language of Nigeria media through the colonial masters who found it convenient to administer the country with it when Nigeria has over four hundred languages. English language was used as the language of transmission and it often hindered the understanding of the message and led to public rage. According to an online newspaper ‘Nairaland’ (2014), three radio presenters on Wazobia FM Kano were arrested and charged to court for using unsavory language on the activities of immunization officials in the state which the prosecutor said must have incited the Boko Haram sect members to kill nine immunization officers.

            Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) as a regulator has actually not done enough to critically scrutinize language use in the media. The organization has concerned itself with license granting and frequency allocations. Although, it has a code of conduct for broadcasting organizations but the enforcement of the document has always been on suspense. Vulgar and obscene languages are freely used on Nigeria broadcast organization contrary to section 4-2-2 of the NBC code.

1.2       Mass Media in Nigeria

            Mass media in Nigeria predates Nigeria as a geo-political entity, dating back to 1859 when Reverend Henry Townsend published the first newspaper IweIroyin. Since then, the Nigeria mass media have been growing rapidly.

            Electronic media in Nigeria has a long history in comparison to other African nations. The history of radio broadcasting in Nigeria dates back to the year 1932 when the British colonial administration in Lagos relayed the first British Empire service to Nigerians from Daventry, England. Radio broadcasting in Nigeria began in 1932 with the introduction of wire broadcasting popularly known as Radio Distribution service (RDS). Under this form, programmes were relayed or distributed using wires connected to loud speakers installed in the homes of subscribers who had paid a small subscription fee for this system and were also provided with a make shift and home apparatus. Uche (1989, p. 145).

            In 1948, the colonial office directed the BBC to undertake a survey of broadcasting in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia and to make recommendations for a fast establishment of effective broadcasting services. In 1959, Chief ObafemiAwolowo established Western Nigerian Television and renamed Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS) in May, 1960 and reached Northern region in 1962.

            In October 1960, Dr. MichealOkpara followed the pace set by ObafemiAwolowo and established Nigeria’s second television station in Enugu known as the East Nigeria Television and Sir Ahmadu Bello on March 15, 1962, established the Radio Television Kaduna and later renamed Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN). The Federal government did not own television station until April 1962, with the promulgation of Decree No. 38, which authorized that National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should issue licenses for private radio and television broadcasting in Nigeria that saw the establishment of Raypower FM and African Independent Television as the television channel, Muri International Television, Galaxy Television to mention a few.

            In 2003, Professor Jerry Gana noted that, there was the need for more government radio and television stations in Nigeria. About 67 new NTA stations and FRCN stations were established in different parts of Nigeria as a result of his observation during Obasanjo’s administration.

1.3       Statement of the Research Problem

            Communication with the appropriate language is always an issue in the electronic media which has caused a lot of misconception among the listeners and viewers. In fact, many people have seen the use of indigenous language in broadcast media as primitive and uncivilized. Indeed, the palpable threat of the extinction of indigenous languages due to wider acceptance of foreign language is a serious challenge in Nigeria, and the broadcast media is no exception in this situation.

            Therefore, this work is set to look at the problems of language use in media broadcast in some selected media houses in Ilorin as case study.

1.4       Objective of the Study

            This project focuses on enlightening the media practitioners on the benefit of using indigenous languages on their programmes especially the electronic media (radio and television). It also aims at promoting the use of local languages for broadcasting on radio and television.

            Also, to orientate the society about the importance of their local language as a means of communication to them on radio and the need to show-case their culture on television.

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