In a compelling inaugural lecture at the University of Calabar, Professor Eyo Offiong Mensah, a distinguished scholar in structural and anthropological linguistics, advocated for the establishment of dedicated Onomastics Departments within Nigerian universities. His lecture, titled “In the beginning, there was a name: What’s not in a name?”, highlighted the critical role that the study of names plays in understanding cultural identity, heritage, and societal structures.
Professor Mensah emphasized that, currently, the University of Calabar is the only institution in Nigeria offering onomastics as a course, and even there, it lacks full departmental status. He argued that recognizing onomastics as an independent academic discipline would broaden its scope, diversify its methodologies, and enhance its academic significance.
Beyond departmental recognition, Professor Mensah called for the creation of a national association dedicated to onomastic research, the development of name archives, and the compilation of a comprehensive dictionary of Nigerian names. He also advocated for the establishment of a centralized online platform to facilitate collaboration among scholars and to promote regional and international research partnerships.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Professor Tony Eyang, lauded Professor Mensah's contributions and underscored the importance of names in human society. She affirmed the university's commitment to fostering academic cultures that explore and preserve Nigeria's rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
This initiative by Professor Mensah serves as a clarion call to academic institutions across Nigeria to recognize and invest in the study of names, acknowledging their profound impact on cultural identity and historical continuity.
No comments:
Post a Comment