AMAMIHE Journal of Applied Philosophy

The research seeks to explore the connections between colonialism, the imposition of foreign language, and poverty in Africa. Language continues to play a very strong role in the development of any society. The continued dominance of colonial languages in education, governance, and other social activities impeded the smooth transfer of learning and technology from one generation to another in Africa. The "colonial subjects" were made to believe that their precious things could be kept safe in Heaven, far away from the ravages of rust and moth, by the "missionaries" while their administrators continued to acquire material wealth. Due to colonization by Western nations, the languages of English, French, and Portuguese were used on the African continent, thus becoming dominant languages for learning. This has resulted in the marginalization of native languages, thereby causing poverty due to a lack of equity. Studies have proved that linguistic imperialism has some detrimental effects. Children are often forced to study in a new language that is completely unfamiliar to them at home, causing a lack of comprehension and high attrition rates. Using the analytical and content analysis methods, the paper argues that Africa should decolonize itself, preserve and promote its development using local languages in educating its citizens.

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