The African Youth Charter is clear about the importance of African languages. Yet, across the continent, these languages remain underfunded and underused in development systems.
First, Article 20(1)(f) commits member states to strengthen the teaching of African languages in both formal and non-formal education. The goal is simple. African languages should support economic, social, political and cultural development.
Second, Article 2(3) recognizes the right of young people from linguistic communities to speak their languages and enjoy their cultures. Language, therefore, is not only a cultural matter. It is a right.
Third, Article 13 calls for education systems that promote African identity, creativity and cultural values. These goals cannot be achieved without African languages.
However, a difficult question remains. If the Charter is so clear, why are African languages still weakly funded?
In many cases, the responsibility seems to fall almost entirely on the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN). Yet language development is not a single-institution issue. It is a continental priority that should involve the entire African Union system.
For example, how can the African Union Commission drive Agenda 2063 if the linguistic foundations of learning and knowledge remain marginal?
Similarly, how can the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) promote development and innovation when millions of Africans still lack access to knowledge in languages they understand?
The same question applies to the Pan-African Parliament and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. Representation, trade, and integration all depend on communication that citizens and markets can understand.
Ultimately, African languages are not only about culture. They support education, knowledge production, democratic participation, and economic inclusion. They also shape Africa’s digital future.
In short, African languages are a development infrastructure.
The African Youth Charter recognized this long ago. Yet a charter without resources remains only a promise on paper.
Therefore, the real question is simple. When will the African Union system invest in African languages with the seriousness that its own Charter demands?
source: Cyrille Sandeu