By Halimah Olamide
An organization LagosPedia has asked Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediate order the inclusion of Yoruba language among languages to be used for announcements by the newly commissioned Blue Line rail project.
The organization said it was a major mistake on the part of LAMATA not to make Yoruba language the main language of communication which is then translated to other languages.
In a statement released on its X handle on
Monday, LagosPedia said, “Yoruba language missing in the Blue Line announcements at rail stations UNACCEPTABLE”
While however commending Sanwo-Olu for the Blue Line initiative, the organization urge him to ensure that LAMATA includes the Yoruba language in the announcement at every station.
It went further, “For example in a city of global convergence like Dubai, announcements at railway stations and Airports are first done in the Arabic language before translation to English.”
The group said oversights of this nature have been responsible for how some people had categorized Lagos as a “no man’s land.”
It said, “When non-Yorubas boast that “Lagos is a no man’s land”, the missing Yoruba identity in public spaces is one of the reasons for making such provocative statements.
https://x.com/lagospedia/status/1701154704275730563?s=46&t=bC9rXNhOjvr-U1ffFr-F3g
“We hope that henceforth Yoruba language will be the language of announcement and translated to English.”
The Lagos State Government last week unveiled the new rail line conveying passengers from Marina to Mile in the first instance of the government plan to make
Light rail available across the state.
The government had commenced the construction of the next Red Line which is scheduled to take passengers from Marina to Agbado passing through Yaba, Ikeja, Agege and Agbado in Ogun State.
Similar projects to be named in colours are to traverse the length and width of the state.
Blue Line has already ignited a new wave of excitement in the state.