Experts, policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders have called for deliberate action to digitalise Ghanaian languages, promote mother tongue use in homes and schools and ensure African data sovereignty in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
That, they said, was necessary to prevent linguistic marginalisation and to harness AI for inclusive development.
They emphasised that language is central to knowledge production, inclusion, and technological equity, and cautioned that African languages remain underrepresented in digital and AI systems.
They were speaking at the 2026 International Mother Language Day symposium held on the theme: “Youth Voices on Multilingual Education.”
Progress
At the symposium on Tuesday, the Dean of the School of Languages, University of Ghana, Professor Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie, said the country had made significant progress in promoting local languages, particularly through basic education and the media.
She stated that Ghanaian languages were taught in primary schools and universities, and that radio and television stations, as well as private media outlets, had contributed to strengthening the use of indigenous languages nationwide.
However, she identified major implementation gaps in language policies, especially the absence of subject textbooks such as science and mathematics in local languages, which limits effective mother-tongue-based education.
Professor Dzahene-Quarshie called for the establishment of vocabulary expansion agencies to develop scientific and technical terminologies in Ghanaian languages to support education and research.
She emphasised that a strong foundation in mother-tongue education improves comprehension, literacy, and multilingual competence, and urged continuous education of parents on the benefits of speaking local languages at home.
Future of language
Delivering the keynote address on the topic, “Will AI Speak My Mother Tongue? Your Role in the Future of Ghanaian Languages,” the Head of the Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana,
Prof. Isaac Wiafe, highlighted that less than one per cent of the world’s 7,100 languages were represented online, with about 10 languages dominating more than 80 per cent of digital content, leaving African languages categorised as low-resource languages.
Prof. Wiafe called for deliberate efforts to collect large datasets in Ghanaian languages, develop indigenous language models, and ensure African ownership of digital knowledge systems to prevent dependency on foreign technology platforms.
He further encouraged Ghanaians to create and use local language content online to improve AI training and proposed AI-driven solutions in agriculture, health care, education, and small businesses using indigenous languages.
For her part, Bernice Narh, a member of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), said language was central to identity, culture, power, and dignity, stressing that multilingual education was a critical justice and equity issue in Africa.
She said children, particularly girls in rural communities, were often disadvantaged when education was delivered in unfamiliar languages, leading to exclusion and widening inequalities.
She called on policymakers to strengthen multilingual education policies, educators to adopt inclusive teaching approaches, parents and communities to take pride in local languages, and young people to speak their mother tongues with confidence.
Inclusive multilingual education
For his part, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ghana, H.E. Zia Choudhury, cited UNESCO data indicating that about 40 per cent of learners worldwide did not receive education in a language they understood, which contributed to poor literacy, numeracy, and widening inequalities, particularly for rural and marginalised children.
He encouraged young people to use digital platforms and emerging technologies, including AI, to promote and preserve their languages and called on education systems to support multilingual education that reflects learners’ linguistic realities.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh