H. E. Dr. Benson Alfred Bana Makes a Case for Kiswahili Language in the University of Port Harcourt

The High Commissioner of Tanzania to Nigeria His Excellency, Dr. Benson Alfred Bana on 17th September, 2021, visited the University of Port Harcourt again to push forward the Kiswahil Agenda of the United Republic of Tanzania. He explained that Tanzania’s foreign policy places greater emphasis on economic diplomacy and cultural diplomacy in its bilateral cooperation than traditional diplomatic relations which were largely hinged upon political diplomacy. He explained that the Tanzania foreign policy emphasizes the need to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation which are geared at promoting People to People (P2P), business to business (B2B) and organization to organizations (O2O) relationships. Explained further that in the international diplomacy arena, there is a shift in emphasis from mere political diplomacy to economic diplomacy and socio-cultural diplomacy.

Pointed out that the economic diplomacy and cultural diplomacy strategies form the bedrock of the foreign policy of the United Republic of Tanzania and Tanzania diplomatic Missions abroad are mandated to pursue among other things programmes and activities geared at realizing the objectives of economic and socio-cultural diplomacy, including but not limited to creating avenues for promoting Kiswahili language, Tanzania’s lingua franca, abroad. He Informed that Kiswahili is the national and official language of the United Republic of Tanzania, and it is currently spoken in countries in the Eastern, Central and Southern African countries with about 500 million people. Informed further that Kiswahili language is a tool for promoting Intra-African economic, political and cultural relations specifically through the free movement of people, services and goods.

He pointed to the fact that the use and acceptance of Kiswahili is increasing, currently Kiswahili is one of the official language of East African Community and SADC regional integration blocs and the United Republic of Tanzania will continue to be in the forefront of advocacy to make it an official language of the AU and the UN. And disisclosed that Kiswahili language is highly developed and it is currently a subject of study in higher learning and tertiary institutions in undergraduate and post graduate programs in the world. In the Western African region Kiswahili is taught at postgraduate level at the University of Ghana, Legon and more than 42 universities across the United States of America teach Kiswahili.

He emphasised that countries like Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda and, of late South Africa have introduced Kiswahili as one of the teaching subjects in secondary/high schools. Drawing on past records that have shown that there existed a relationship between the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Port Harcourt, particularly in the area of teaching and introducing Kiswahili to West Africa. He strives to revive this relationship between the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Port Harcourt for mutual benefit, the advancement of Kiswahili in West Africa and further strengthening the existing bilateral relationship between Tanzania and Nigeria.