Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has urged Nigerians to preserve indigenous languages and cultural heritage, stressing the need to pass them on to future generations.
Hamzat made the call after appearing on the Yoruba cultural game show Masoyinbo, where he discussed the significance of the language and the need to sustain Yoruba traditions.
In a post on his X account on Friday, accompanied by photographs from the programme, the deputy governor described Yoruba as an important part of the people’s identity, history and values.
“I had a great time on Masoyinbo, exploring the importance of Yoruba in our society and why we must preserve the language, celebrate our culture and pass our rich heritage on to future generations.
“Yoruba is more than a language. It is part of our identity, history, values and what connects us as a community,” he wrote.
Hamzat, who is also the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, said Nigeria’s cultural diversity remained one of its greatest strengths.
He added that protecting indigenous languages was a collective responsibility.
“Building a greater Lagos means investing not only in infrastructure and public services but also in our people, culture and values. We must work together to keep our heritage alive for generations to come,” he added.
He also commended Masoyinbo for promoting Yoruba culture and language through a programme that combines education and entertainment for audiences in Lagos and beyond.
The show’s host, Lekan Fabilola, also shared a post about Hamzat’s appearance on his X account on Friday.
According to information gathered by our correspondent, Hamzat featured in the 364th episode of the 40-minute programme, which was uploaded to the show’s official YouTube channel on Friday afternoon.
Although Hamzat answered all 10 questions during the competition, penalties for code-switching and mixing languages reduced his prize to N20,000.
The show’s ultimate prize was listed as N1m, a car and a parcel of land.
Masoyinbo is designed to promote and preserve Yoruba through quizzes and challenges that test participants’ fluency and knowledge of the language.
The programme has previously featured several prominent Nigerians, including Fuji musician Saheed Osupa, political activist Yele Sowore, actresses Funke Akindele and Femi Adebayo, rapper Falz, comedian Ali Baba, skit maker Cute Abiola and actor Lateef Adedimeji.
