Oracle of Wisdom Journal of Philosophy and Public Affairs

For decades, Nigeria has operated an oil-based economy. However, today, given the poor ranking of Nigeria in the Human Development Index globally, it is crucial to look for alternative income resources. This paper, therefore, is a philosophical inquiry into the prospect of using Nigerian indigenous languages as economic capital. Particularly, it conceptualised their economy-related ontological status, examined their economic potential, and identified the ethical implications of their commodification. Guided by Pierre Bourdieu's linguistic capital theory and conceptual analysis, it argues that they are economic capital, and, ipso facto, pivotal for a language-based economy towards Nigerian sustainable development. As a qualitative study, it drew the data for analysis mainly from related extant literature. The findings showed that though Nigerian indigenous languages are both communicative tools and valuable resources, convertible into economic capital, there is a need to guard against language commodification. Thus, it concludes that attainment of sustainable development in Nigeria, among other things, requires a development template that is fundamentally, though not exclusively, Nigerian indigenous languages-driven, one that promotes responsible linguistic autonomy and jettisons undue linguistic dependence, respects language and cultural diversities, and rejects linguistic injustice and exclusion. Hence, this paper recommends the need to balance Nigerian language policy to give Nigerian languages their proper place at all levels of Nigerian life.

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