The Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) has rejected calls for Ghana to adopt a single indigenous language as the country’s national language, with its Executive Secretary, Ebenezer Ahiator, arguing that elevating one local language could create tensions among speakers of Ghana’s many indigenous languages.
Mr Ahiator reportedly made the position known when he appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Chieftaincy, Culture and Religious Affairs, where the issue of Ghana’s language policy came under discussion.
The development comes amid renewed debate over whether Ghana should give greater national status to an indigenous language, particularly Akan, which is widely spoken across the country.
BGL cautions against choosing one indigenous language
According to reports from the parliamentary engagement, Mr Ahiator said Ghana should not select one indigenous language as a national language because speakers of other Ghanaian languages could feel marginalised.
A social-media graphic circulating from Ghana Today attributes the stronger wording, “We will not recognize Akan as Ghana’s official language,” to Mr Ahiator.
However, the more directly reported position is that the Bureau opposes adopting one indigenous language as a national language. GhanaMedia.net has therefore treated the wording in the graphic as an attributed statement rather than presenting it as a formal declaration that Akan has been specifically rejected as an official language.
Why Akan is at the centre of the debate
Akan is among Ghana’s most widely spoken indigenous languages and is used extensively in homes, markets, broadcasting and everyday communication.
The Bureau of Ghana Languages supports several Ghanaian languages for public information and educational purposes. Research on Ghana’s language landscape identifies Akan, Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Nzema, Dagaare, Gonja, Kasem and Dagbani among the government-supported languages.
The debate, therefore, is not simply about whether Akan is widely spoken. It is about whether one indigenous language should receive a status that distinguishes it from the country’s other languages.
English remains dominant
English continues to occupy the central position in Ghana’s official and administrative life. Academic research on Ghana’s language policy describes English as the country’s official language while noting the government-supported status of several indigenous languages.
The question of an indigenous national language has nevertheless persisted for decades.
A major concern is Ghana’s considerable linguistic diversity. Giving one language special national status could be interpreted by speakers of other languages as placing their own linguistic and cultural identities below that of the selected language.
Mr Ahiator’s position reflects that concern.
The wider conversation
The discussion also touches on the preservation and promotion of Ghanaian languages.
Article 39 of the 1992 Constitution requires the State to foster the development of Ghanaian languages and promote pride in Ghanaian culture.
The challenge is therefore how Ghana can strengthen indigenous languages without creating a hierarchy among the country’s linguistic communities.
The current debate has already generated strong reactions, particularly online, with some Ghanaians arguing that Akan’s widespread use makes it a natural candidate for greater national recognition, while others insist that no single indigenous language should be elevated above the rest.
For now, the Bureau of Ghana Languages’ position is that Ghana should not adopt one indigenous language as its national language.
The debate is likely to continue as policymakers, linguists, traditional authorities and the public consider how Ghana can preserve its linguistic diversity while improving the use of indigenous languages in education, governance and public communication.
