First Yorùbá Textbook Unveiled in China

David Bolton

• July 12, 2023 • 2 min read

Èkìtì State University don, Prof Goke Alamu has announced the unveiling of the first Yorùbá textbook in China.

He narrated how the textbook came to fruition in a post.

“Just produced in China.I’m just very happy because this is the first Yorùbá textbook in China”, he posted.

He disclosed that he was contacted by the Beijing Foreign Studies University around 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis to come to China and set up a Yorùbá programme for the institution.

Prof Alamu explained that he could have been in China since then, but for the lockdown occasioned by the pandemic.

“So, I started an online teaching for their students after writing the syllabus and the approval.

“Later, the University got an approval from the government and a publishing company was approved for the publication of the first Yorùbá textbook for students”, he said.

“I worked with three Professors who had the opportunity to study the language in the US. This is the product of our efforts after three years. I will be going to China in September to test run the book. I have two students already at UI who would be trained and take over from me.

“Prof Alamu also said that he had taught students of the institution for two years online, saying “but they are now here to feel the culture of us and improve their proficiency.”