Paper short abstract:

The digitization of Ejagham not only enhance telecommunication and infrastructural development across the globe, but also ensures its reinvigoration , preservation and retrieval. It is thus important to explore factors that impede or facilitate its digitization.

Paper long abstract:

The language question in Africa places constraints on infrastructural development. There is no better way of attaining the 4th Industrial Revolution, than through language digitization. Hence, Kone (2021) entreats African countries to adopt digitization for technological development. However, the alarm bell on the digitization of African languages is yet to receive the attention it deserves. Ejagham in Manyu, Cameroon, is moribund (Ojongnkpot, 2015 P. 202). There have been efforts to promote indigenous languages (Njock, 1966;Tadajeu,1975; Chumbow, 2013; Ojongnkpot,2015;); the future of these languages appears threatening, in relation to digitization. Osborn (2010) affirms that “ there is still a long way to go before all world languages appear on the World Wide Web” (P.29). Indeed, bridging the digital divide gets the languages invigorated, gets people well connected and engenders socio-economic development. No language in Cameroon is served by ICT,(social media, email). Given the place of Ejagham as store house of knowledge , intangible resources, and driver of development, we aimed at exploring factors that impede and enhance the digitization of Ejagham, in order to devise ways and means of bridging the digital divide.

Questions:

1. What is the relevance of digitization to Ejagham speakers?

2. What are the challenges /opportunities of digitizing Ejagham?

The study adopts a Mixed-Methods Design, with N=500 , aged 15-70 respondents from all walks of life.Adopts Haugen’s (1971/1972)(PLETES Model of Language Ecology) Framework. Quantitative data analyzed through SPSS , while Qualitative data used Content Analysis.

The study has implication for language preservation, storage, retrieval and technological exploitation.