IWF

Author(s):
Yahuza Ishaq M. Jama'are, yahuza2000@yahoo.com,

Abstract: In an attempt to analyze of the relevance of Arabic language to the people of Northern Nigeria, which by virtue of Islam, had established itself in the region as the language of administration, literacy, education, history and legislation before the arrival of colonial masters, to Nigerian. Indeed, at one time, Arabic language was the official language of Northern Nigeria and had influence on the language and culture of its peoples. The paper that observed that with the spread of Islam in Northern Nigeria, learning of Arabic language through the acquisition of Islamic education had contributed immensely to the development of Nigerian nation at large and that its neglect would not augur well for Nigerian development. The paper, therefore, argues that Arabic has a lot to offer in the upliftment of the country, especially in the areas of religion, education, socio-economic, diplomacy and security. At the end, it affirms the significance of Arabic as a language that transcends the religious sphere and concludes on the note that Arabic should be given its prime place and be allowed to contribute its own quota to the development of not only northern Nigeria in particular Nigeria as a whole.