'No young Nigerian should speak only one language'

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has charged young Nigerians to see themselves as global citizens wired to solve global problems; and to be multilingual while at it.

Osinbajo made the remarks during the South-West Youth Summit in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.

Osinbajowas keynote speaker at the event.

“You don’t have to steal, you don’t have to cheat or do anything untoward to get money. You must be determined to work hard, you must determine to be a person of integrity, determine to ensure that you build your works correctly, so that at the end of the day, you are able to enjoy whatever you have in peace.

“We must also recognise that every generation owes itself the duty of converting its challenges to opportunities and success. You must make contacts across the country, you must build bridges across the country; you must see yourself first and foremost as a Nigerian citizen.

"It is from this Nigeria that we would make the kind of progress that each and every one of us needs. So while we are here locally, we must think nationally, and we must think globally. And we must act nationally, and we must act globally”, the Vice President said.

Multilingual citizens

In a speech laden with anecdotes, Osinbajo commended young Nigerians for their innovation and creativity. He also tasked them to imbibe values like trust, integrity and to be multilingual in a fast paced world.

“There is no reason why a young Nigerian should speak only one language; there is no reason why he/she should not speak French or Spanish or German, and you can learn everything now on the Internet. It is easy to learn. There is no excuse. Some of you young people who are here today would be working in the United Nations, in different UN and international agencies.

“But you can’t do so if you are speaking only one language. You must be multilingual or at least bilingual. If they ask, what language do you speak, and you say English and Yoruba, or English and Itsekiri. No. You must be able to speak at least two international languages, and there is no reason why not. At any age, you can learn a language, and you must do so. We must self-educate ourselves.

“There is no question at all that any society that does not emphasize integrity and does not stand on integrity cannot succeed. The whole of the economy is based on trust, even the currency that you spend is based on trust, and business is based on trust. Many times as Nigerians we have lost that trust even dealing with international partners we have lost that trust”, Osinbajo added.