The School of Languages at the University of Ghana has called for urgent and coordinated action to safeguard Ghana’s indigenous languages from decline.

According to the School, rapid technological advancement, coupled with inadequate mother-tongue education, risks widening inequality and accelerating the erosion of local languages unless deliberate steps are taken to preserve them.

The call was made at a forum organised by the School in collaboration with United Nations Ghana and the African Women Leaders Network Ghana. The event was held under the theme: “Youth Voices, Multilingual Education and the Role of Technology in Advancing Linguistic Justice.”

Speaking at the forum, Professor Isaac Wiafe of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Ghana highlighted the growing link between technology, identity, and linguistic justice. He posed a critical question:

“How can African languages be empowered rather than pushed aside in digital spaces, especially at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) systems increasingly shape communication, education, and access to information?”

 

Professor Wiafe noted that although AI systems are trained on vast volumes of online data, less than one per cent of African languages are adequately represented in AI and natural language processing platforms. As a result, billions of speakers of these “low-resource” languages risk digital exclusion.

Participants emphasized that AI is not inherently biased; rather, it mirrors the data on which it is trained. In the absence of sufficient, high-quality digital content in Ghanaian and other African languages, AI tools continue to favour dominant global languages, particularly English. This creates a vicious cycle where global languages gain even greater online visibility, while local languages fall further behind.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Josephine Dzahene Quarshie, stressed that mother-tongue instruction is not simply about cultural identity—it is a proven foundation for effective learning.

She cited research showing that children learn best when taught in a language they understand, resulting in better comprehension, stronger confidence, and improved academic performance. Yet nearly 40 per cent of learners worldwide still do not have access to education in their home language.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Zia Choudhury, also underscored the central role of language in achieving inclusive education. He urged education systems to value learners’ perspectives and ensure instruction is delivered in languages students understand best.

“Language barriers contribute to poor comprehension, weak literacy and numeracy skills, and ultimately deepen inequality—particularly among rural and marginalised children,” Mr. Choudhury said.

He called for sustained investment in multilingual education and digital inclusion to ensure that no learner is left behind.