Asante Professional Club Leads Call to Prioritise Ghanaian Languages for National Development

The Asante Professional Club has taken a leading role in the national call for the promotion of Ghanaian languages, stressing that indigenous dialects are critical to inclusive governance and sustainable development. This call was made at the 20th anniversary edition of the Opemsuo Lecture, which brought together language experts, educators, traditional authorities and community leaders to reflect on the future of Ghanaian languages in national development.

Held under the theme “Impact of Ghanaian Languages on Sustainable Development in Ghana,” the lecture provided a platform for stakeholders to examine how local languages can be better integrated into education, public administration and national discourse to enhance development outcomes.

Speaking at the event held at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi, the President of the Asante Professional Club, Mr. Isaac Augustus Antwi, emphasized the responsibility of national leaders to set the pace in promoting indigenous languages. He expressed concern over the heavy reliance on English in Parliament and other public institutions, noting that such practices exclude a significant number of citizens from understanding and actively participating in national conversations.
“We see leaders in Parliament speaking English without many people understanding, so how can they announce or tell schools to make local dialects a priority?” Mr. Antwi questioned. He appealed to the government to deliberately promote the use of Ghanaian languages in schools and official government business to ensure inclusiveness and people-centred governance.

Drawing comparisons with other countries, Mr. Antwi noted that nations such as China conduct trade, education and official business largely in their mother tongues. He questioned why Ghana could not adopt a similar approach to strengthen national identity and development. He further called on journalists and media practitioners to use their platforms to educate the public on the importance of promoting and preserving Ghana’s local dialects.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, former Minister of Education and Energy, underscored the urgent need for Ghanaians to refocus attention on indigenous languages. He described Ghanaian languages as invaluable cultural assets that embody the nation’s identity, values and indigenous knowledge systems, which are essential for social cohesion and sustainable development.

“Our local dialects are very important, and we should focus more on them,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh stated, urging Ghanaians to take pride in their linguistic heritage and actively use their languages in daily life and national development efforts.
He further highlighted the critical role of parents in preserving local languages, encouraging families to speak their mother tongues at home and make them part of children’s everyday experiences. According to him, bilingualism should be embraced, stressing that no child should be discouraged or blamed for speaking more than one language.

The Opemsuo Lecture served as a strong reminder of the need for Ghana to embrace its linguistic and cultural heritage as a development tool rather than a barrier. Participants agreed that promoting Ghanaian languages goes beyond cultural preservation, as it has the potential to improve education, strengthen civic participation and foster sustainable national development.
As Ghana continues to shape its development agenda, the call led by the Asante Professional Club at the Opemsuo Lecture reinforces the growing consensus that prioritising indigenous languages is essential to building an inclusive and prosperous nation.