18 April 2009

As at the political, economic and social levels, Libya remains rather focused on ‎integrating the African continent not only by being the initiator of the African Union ‎which is moving ahead to become one of the major blocks in the world but also in ‎terms of cultural aspects such as the promotion of African languages in Libya and the ‎rest of North Africa.‎

The University of Sebha, one of the biggest and oldest universities in Libya, last week ‎on the 15th of April celebrated a Quarter of a Century of teaching African languages ‎at the University. ‎
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The 25th year commemoration has been organized by the Faculty of Arts, Department ‎of Languages and African Studies.‎

The languages currently taught at the University of Sebha include Swahili, Fulani and ‎Hausa.‎

The celebrations were organized by a joint effort of the University's teaching staff and ‎that of the students of various languages.‎

During the one day long occasion that was held at the University's premises, several ‎activities were also organized. Some of these activities included the presentations of ‎various academic papers with topics relating to the teachings of African languages in ‎Libya.‎

Mr. Ibrahim El-hadi Mohammed was among the Libyans who presented a paper in ‎Kiswahili, entitled Problems Facing Swahili Book writers in Libya.

During his ‎presentation he noted, "For the success of teaching African languages in Libya, the ‎Ministry of Education has the responsibility of organizing the publication of various ‎books from university to primary level."‎

The invited guests and participants of the workshop also had a chance to visit the ‎students' cultural exhibitions which displayed several African literatures, newspapers ‎published in Swahili and Hausa languages and some other reading materials.‎

African music was also played as part of students' efforts of trying to create a typical ‎African atmosphere for those visiting the exhibition.‎

True to their efforts, on the celebration day, the general University's atmosphere ‎transformed and gave the participants an African touch. ‎

In fact some of those attending the workshop including both Libyan parents who had ‎accompanied their children to the festive and the indigenous of some African ‎languages were left almost spellbound by some of the Libyan students' ability to ‎converse fluently in the African languages.‎

However, among all the three African languages that are currently taught at the ‎University, Swahili language seems to be enjoying the popularity of the day with ‎majority of students showing their zeal in Swahili. ‎
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Swahili is one of the most spoken African languages in the world with over two ‎hundred million speakers, this is according to recent findings.

It is also the official ‎language of the African Union.‎

The Department of Languages and African Studies has currently registered a total ‎number of one hundred and thirty Libyan students in Swahili language unlike in ‎Hausa which has only thirty students so far.‎

The University currently boasts itself for having produced two Libyans among its ‎teaching staff with Ph.D in Swahili. ‎

Although Dr. Idris Hassan Al-Mahdy, Head of Department of Languages and African ‎Studies at the University of Sebha was quick to say that, the journey has never been ‎all that easy especially when the African languages were introduced.‎

‎"In 1984 people were surprised to see students learning African languages but after ‎the graduation of the first group, Swahili started spreading everywhere, and now we ‎have students coming deep from the village simply to learn the African languages," ‎explained Dr. Al- Mahdy.‎

The workshop was officially opened by Dr. Mohammed Arruhuma, the University's ‎Deputy Vice Chancellor.‎

Aso present during the opening ceremony were Dr.Hassan Al-Bashir Dean of Faculty ‎of Arts, Dr. Jamal Al- Zwei, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Khalifa Misbah, ‎Dean Faculty of Science, Dr. Idris Hassan Al-Mahdy, Head of Department of ‎Languages and African studies, Dr. Abubakar Oheda, lecturer and Head of the ‎Organizing Committee of the workshop.‎

Other African scholars also attended the occasion.‎

Certificates and other gifts were also awarded to several teaching staff and students as ‎part of the recognition for the positive role they played in steering both the teaching ‎and the learning process of the African languages at the University of Sebha.‎

The teaching of African languages is the Libyan government's national campaign of ‎which it aims to promote the usage of African languages not only at the university ‎level but at all levels including primary.‎

It is in this regard therefore, that today African languages especially Swahili is also ‎taught at Al-Fateh University, Nasser University, the Academy of Graduates Studies ‎and Aisha Secondary School in Sebha.‎

These efforts have not only been confined to learning institutions but have also been ‎extended to other institutions. For instance, in Tripoli, Voice of Africa has started ‎departments of African languages broadcasting in Hausa and Swahili as their main ‎broadcasting languages.‎

Da'awa tul Islamiyah in Tripoli has never been left behind too in the same regard, ‎apart from admitting students of different nationalities including African countries, it ‎is also publishing newspapers in Hausa and Swahili.