Kiswahili is a bantu language and one of the four main African languages that is spoken widely on the African continent, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The language is prominent in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.  Several countries in Africa have adopted Kiswahili either as a national language, official language or as a medium of instruction in schools. During the era of the liberation struggles in Southern African countries, Kiswahili language was used as a medium of military communication by the Freedom fighters in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, etc. 

On 10th February, 2022 the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia approved and adopted Kiswahili as an official working language of the Union and its institutions. Kiswahili is also the working language of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC). It is estimated that about 250-300 million people on the African continent speak Kiswahili at various levels. 

On 23rd November, 2021 United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) member states at its 41st session, Paris 2021 declared 7th July each year with effect from 2022 as ‘World Kiswahili Language Day.’ The declaration emanated from the fact that Kiswahili is the most widely spoken language in Africa and it is among the 10 most widely spoken languages in the world. The 7th July was particularly selected to be World Kiswahili Language day on the basis of the fact that on that day in 1954 Late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the Father of the United Republic of Tanzania and a true son of Africa made a bold decision to communicate the decolonization messages in Kiswahili. In that light, Kiswahili was able to unite Tanzanians to support the nationalist party, Tanganyika Africa National Union (TANU) which led the country to independence in December, 1961.

Today, it is viewed as a tool for the envisaged regional and continental integration, particularly in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). At national level, Kiswahili has been proven beyond an iota of doubt to be a language of unification and nation-building across all divides, including the sentiments of tribe, ethnicity, region, religion, political, race etc. 

In view of the above, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania which is the home of Kiswahili, mandated its Missions abroad to organize the inaugural ‘World Kiswahili Language Day’ celebrations. Thus, the Tanzania High Commission in Nigeria with concurrent accreditation to 14 other West African countries intends to celebrate the World Kiswahili Language Day with an Open Dialogue, bringing together like-minded partners in the promotion of Kiswahili.  

The topics for the Open Dialogue for the World Kiswahili Language Day are derived from the main theme, revolving around five interrelated and mutually supportive topics, namely: 

  1. The contribution of Kiswahili in African Liberation Struggles.
  2. The role of Kiswahili in nation-building: A case for Tanzania.
  3. The strategic place of Kiswahili in realizing the objectives of AfCFTA.
  4. Experiences and challenges in teaching and learning Kiswahili in West African Institutions: case study of University of Ghana, Legon, University of Port Harcourt, SOS Ghana and Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
  5. Experience and challenges of broadcasting in Kiswahili in West Africa media houses; Voice of Nigeria.

Cordially, you are humbly requested and welcomed to join Tanzania High Commission to celebrate this Pan-African language inaugural celebration.