The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has described it as derogatory and culturally offensive to refer to African languages or local dialects as “vernacular.”

She said the term is not only discouraging but also undermines the legitimacy of African languages as recognised systems of communication and identity.

“It is derogatory and an affront to African culture to label African languages as vernacular,” she said, warning that such descriptions contribute to the marginalisation of indigenous languages.

Prof. Amfo made the remarks during her inaugural lecture as a newly elected and inducted member of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) in Accra last Thursday.

The lecture, themed “Reclaiming voice in the global order: Language, gender and the African academy,” attracted a large audience, including academics, policymakers, students, and prominent public figures.

Among those present were Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, former University of Ghana Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, legal scholar Prof. S. K. B. Asante, former Attorney-General Marrietta Brew, Esi Sutherland-Addy, GTEC Director-General Prof. Ahmed Jinapor, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, and Prof. Ransford Gyampo.

Prof. Amfo said knowledge production in academia is often shaped by a Eurocentric framework that marginalises African perspectives.

She argued that African scholarship is frequently treated as secondary, while Western knowledge systems are regarded as more legitimate.

“What counts as legitimate knowledge is often determined not only by what is said, but by who says it,” she said.

She added that research rooted in African realities often struggles for recognition, while work aligned with Western paradigms is more easily accepted.

The Vice-Chancellor also stressed that language meaning is shaped by context, intention and power relations.

“Language is rarely transparent,” she said, explaining that even simple  political statements in Ghana can carry multiple interpretations depending on context.

She noted that public communication is often followed by reinterpretation and reframing, as meaning is continuously negotiated in society.

On gender, Prof. Amfo said women in leadership continue to face structural and cultural bias, particularly when they succeed in male-dominated spaces.

She said ambitious women are often judged more harshly than their male counterparts.

“The ambition of a woman is seen as a transgression, equality as risk, and aspiration as something to be disciplined,” she said.

Prof. Amfo added that in public life, women are often evaluated not only on competence but also on appearance and perceived behaviour.

“Confident women may be described as ‘too known’ or difficult,” she said, noting that such attitudes persist in modern Ghanaian society.