AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, Managing Director of CEOAFRICA, a leading online media organization in Africa, is set to participate in the upcoming African Languages Week Coordination Committee (ALWCC) workshop at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Prince Ilobanafor, a dedicated member of the ALWCC, has been at the forefront of efforts to promote African languages in the digital space. His contributions include attending high-profile events such as the planning workshop on African languages in cyberspace held in Gaborone, Botswana, in June 2018.
The ALWCC workshop aims to advance the development and promotion of African languages in alignment with the AU’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a united and culturally robust continent. This initiative, led by the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN)—a specialized AU institution—seeks to empower African languages as tools for education, social integration, and economic advancement.
Since its inception in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in July 2021, African Languages Week has been observed annually from January 24 to 30, celebrating the continent’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity.
The 2024 edition, themed “Empowering African Languages for Quality Education and Free Trade for the Africa We Want,” will focus on leveraging languages to enhance education and drive the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The workshop will feature presentations, policy discussions, and collaborative sessions aimed at integrating African languages more effectively into daily life and international discourse.
Attendees will include representatives from the AU Commission’s Directorate of Social Development, Culture, and Sports; ACALAN’s National Language Structures; and various research and academic institutions. The outcomes of this workshop will inform strategic plans for the 2025 African Languages Week.
Through initiatives like this, ACALAN strives to foster linguistic cooperation, reinforce cultural identity, and contribute to sustainable peace and development across Africa.
