Assessment of Indigenous Language Programming in Promoting Yoruba Language and Culture: Evidence from Sobi FM 101.9 Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Indigenous language broadcasting constitutes one of the most consequential yet underexamined mechanisms for preserving cultural heritage and sustaining community identity in postcolonial African societies. In Nigeria, where English continues to function as the official medium of formal communication, the linguistic terrain of broadcast media carries both symbolic and political weight that extends well beyond programme scheduling decisions. Method: This study adopted a quantitative content analysis design to examine indigenous language programming at Sobi FM 101.9 Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 157 coded programme entries drawn from the station’s broadcast schedule were systematically analy sed according to three primary variables: language of broadcast, programme genre, and thematic focus. Descriptive statistics, comprising frequencies and percentages, were employed for data analysis. Results: Findings revealed a pronounced dominance of Yoruba -language content across the station’s programming schedule. Yoruba-language broadcasts accounted for 143 entries (91.1%), while English - language programming constituted 14 entries (8.9%). Indigenous langua ge broadcasting featured prominently across content categories, including current affairs, religious programming, agricultural education, health communication, sports commentary, and cultural entertainment. Thematic analysis further indicated that language preservation and cultural heritage transmission constituted the dominant thematic orientations across coded entries. Conclusion: Sobi FM 101.9 occupies a meaningful position in the promotion and preservation of Yoruba language and cultural heritage. The study concludes that community radio, when oriented deliberately toward indigenous language content, functions as an active agent o f cultural transmission rather than a passive conduit of information. Theoretical grounding in Cultural Transmission Theory illuminates the mechanisms through which radio facilitates intergenerational transfer of linguistic and cultural knowledge.