LANGUAGE DIVERSITY AND THE INCLUSION OF LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN PROGRAMMED CONTENT AT AKWA IBOM BROADCASTING CORPORATION (AKBC), NIGERIA

Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria is homogenous in terms of language with Ibibio as the main indigenous language. Yet, there are dialectal groups such as Annang, Oron, Andoni, Ibeno, Eket, Okobo, Mbo, Iwerre and Efik. Therefore, this study set out to ascertain the extent that the Radio and the Television Services of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC), established, owned and operated by the Akwa Ibom State Government, have fulfilled their mandate of promoting and sustaining the culture of the State through the broadcast of programmes in the languages used in different parts of the State. The study content analysed the programmes of Radio Akwa Ibom (90.50 MHz FM band) and AKBC-TV Channel 45, Uyo (UHF band) from January 2017 to September 2018. The findings indicated that the amount of airtime given by the two stations to programmes in the different dialects spoken in Akwa Ibom State was one-third of the total airtime allotted to programmes in local languages; the remaining two-thirds were in Ibibio - the dominant local language. From the findings, it was concluded that although there was language diversity and inclusion in programme contents of Radio Akwa Ibom and AKBC-TV Channel 45, the diversity and inclusion was peripheral and skin-deep. It was recommended that AKBC as a Corporation should consciously pursue inclusion through diversity as part of its social responsibility by encouraging the production of programmes in other dialects spoken in the State but not yet covered in its programming.