Raji Toheeb and Aisha Sulaiman report
The Linguistics Students Association (LINSA) at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), has on Thursday, 16 November launched its innovative website.
The event which unfolded at PTF hall, has the presence of distinguished guests including Prof. Sidi, Prof. Aliero, Prof. Sajo, Mallam Hudu Isa Kebbi, Dr. K.G. Muhammad, and Dr. Dogon Daji among others.
Acknowledging the presence of the invited guest, Korede Johnson Akande, the President of the department extended his gratitude to the esteemed guests with his opening remarks.
Prof. Ahmad H. Amfani, the first speaker, delved into the theme “The Role of Language in Shaping Culture and Identity.” He underscored the inseparability of language and culture—emphasizing that they are mutually reinforcing.
He said, ” Language is the most distinctive feature of human beings as culture can’t be without language but can only be transmitted through language, the two are interwoven; language is culture, and culture is language.”
Launching the LINSA website, prof. Amfani contributed ten thousand naira while Dr. Sajo and Mallam Hudu Isa Kebbi further supported the launch with five thousand naira each.
Mallam Hudu Isa Kebbi, representing A.A Raji School of Special Needs took the stage with a discourse on “Sign Languages and Deaf Culture: A Linguistics Perspective.”
Advocating for the inclusion of sign language, Mallam Hudu enlightened the audience on the deaf alphabet, tracing the origins of sign language.
Dr. Sajo, the examination officer for English and Literary Studies, unveiled the LINSA website. In his brief address, he encouraged language students to explore diverse career paths.
“ You can be an independent body; you can be a public speaking specialist, communication expert, editing and proofreading expert, public relation specialist, media practitioner among others,” he advised.
He stressed further that the website which is one of its kind among student associations on the UDUS campus contains books that are relevant to linguistics during the undergraduate level that students can download and read from, in their leisure.
As the chairman of the occasion, Dr. K.G. Muhammad urged students to take pride in their university’s influence on their personal development, asserting that their education equips them for any occasion.