Former defence minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, has launched the Nupe Heritage Dictionary and purchased a copy of it with N20 million.

The dictionary, authored by Amb. Solomon Adama Yisa, was sponsored by LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group.

In his welcome address as chairman of the occasion, Gen. Danjuma, described the dictionary as “an excellent idea,” noting that “language is the bedrock of culture which binds every society together.”

The renowned philanthropist, who will be conferred with the title of Jarmai Zazzau today by the Emir of Zaria, Alhaji (Dr.) Shehu Idris, stressed that “anything else can go extinct but language will survive if we share it.”

Other donors at the event held at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja included the Niger State government which launched 30 copies of the book with N5 million, the Niger State Executive Council donated N200,000 while Senator Ahmadu Ali launched it with N100,000.

A former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, donated N50,000 while representatives of the minister of state for power, Zainab Kuchi and the Nupe in Diaspora pledged an undisclosed amount.

The dictionary reviewer and former minister of information and national orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, said it came at a time the reading culture among Nigerians was on the decline and hoped that it would change the trend.

Ambassador Yisa said he compiled the dictionary “to put things right as it concerns Nupe language and culture.”

See: All Africa