Socio-Economic Drivers of Language Shift and Extinction: A Community-Based Study in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study examined the socio-economic factors contributing to language shift and extinction, the effects of globalization and urbanization on minority-language preservation, the consequences of shift for cultural identity and social cohesion, and strategies for revitalization, among residents of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Language change or the gradual replacement of a mother tongue with a dominant language is a global danger to language diversity and minority languages in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly at risk. However, evidence at community level on socio-economic factors contributing to this process in Nigeria is still scanty. A convergent mixed-methods design combined a structured Likert-scale questionnaire with semi-structured interviews. Fifty adult residents were purposively sampled across age groups, educational levels, occupations, and mother tongues. Quantitative data were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and interview data were examined through thematic analysis, framed by Fishman's theory of reversing language shift. Respondents identified globalization (80% agreement), educational policies favouring dominant languages (76%), urban migration (74%), and economic opportunity (70%) as the principal drivers of shift. Reduced use of minority languages in public domains (90%) and the influence of global media (82%) were the most strongly endorsed effects of globalization and urbanization. The most-cited consequences were loss of cultural identity (86%) and erosion of social cohesion (86%). Government support (80%), community initiatives (80%), educational reforms (84%), and media promotion (86%) were endorsed as preservation strategies. Language shift in Oye-Ekiti is driven primarily by structural socio-economic forces rather than speaker indifference. A coordinated response combining supportive language policy, community-led revitalization, curriculum reform, and minority-language media is required to safeguard endangered languages.