THE 18th NITI CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & ITD 2022 FINAL COMMUNIQUE
The Nigerian Institute of Translators and Interpreters (NITI) held its 17th Annual Conference, Workshop and International Translation Day on 30th and 31st October 2019 at Presken Hotels, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja. The event is the best we have held so far, in a bigger and more beautiful venue, even if the biggest attendance we were expecting did not come true because many of our members were sent on compulsory assignments that fell right into the conference dates, especially the accreditation exercise ordered in most Nigerian Higher Institutions by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Nevertheless, the attendance was big and the event a big success.
The two-day conference with theme, “Translation and Indigenous Languages” drew participants from all over the country and neighbouring Benin Republic, comprising university professors, academics, professional translators, students and interested members of the public, and the Press was not left out, especially AIT and NTA. The opening ceremony was chaired by eminent Scholar, Teacher and great Authoritative on Translation, Professor Zakariyyau Oseni of the Arabic Department of the University of Ilorin, who also honoured the house with his invaluable presentation of the lead resource paper: “OF ETSAKO/ENGLISH AND ETSAKO/ARABIC TRANSLATION: TRENDS, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES”, which came after the powerful keynote address delivered by Dr. Nwanne Felix-Emeribe.
Throughout the two days, numerous papers addressing different themes of the conference were presented, after which they were seriously discussed and deliberated upon. The programme of Conference Day 1 included the official induction, as Full Members of NITI, of all the candidates who applied to join the body in 2019 and who passed Parts 1 and 2 of the NITI membership exams. Similarly, in appreciation of their dedication to the Translation-Interpretation cause, the 17th NITI conference held another induction ceremony, in which the Full Members who were nominated last year for the Fellowship status, were inducted as Fellows of NITI.
At the end of the memorable event, the following resolutions were reached: -
Eager to strengthen the use and see to the survival of local languages, NITI resolves to make translation from and into Nigerian indigenous languages vigorous, intensive and aggressive.
Nigerian languages that are facing extinction should be saved through translation and writing within those languages.
Parents are encouraged to imbibe their children with a deep sense of their native language by using it to communicate at home.
Translators should subject their translations to revision and review.
Translators should make careful and guided use of technology during translation, including the use of software such as key-man and soligsoft multilingual keyboard.
Pressure should be intensified on government, both executive and legislative, to sign the NITI Bill into law.
Government should enhance the funding of research in language institutes and centres engaged in terminology and lexicography development of Nigerian indigenous languages.
More professional trainings and capacity building workshops on translation should be conducted.
Translation teachers should incorporate ethics, research methodology and terminology in their curriculum.
Translators should always consider the cultural context of their target audience.
To avoid the negative effects of bad translation, Government, organizations, firms and individuals who are in need of translation services in Nigeria should form the habit of hiring NITI certified translators.
New Executive Positions were elected as follows: -
Dr. Aliy Abdulwahid Adebisi: 3rd Vice President.
Hajiya Aisha Abubakar: Treasurer.
Mr. Mustapha Adamu Indabawa: Publicity Secretary.
Mrs. Ebele Ukegbu continues as Administrative Secretary.
Having noticed the negative impact of bad translation of movie subtitles by Nollywood and Kannywood, NITI resolves to take aggressive action to remedy the situation by approaching the relevant authorities, especially the Nigerian Film Censors Board.
As a step toward invigorating our efforts at passing the NITI Bill into law, NITI shall write to the leadership of the two Chambers of the National Assembly, congratulating them on their election victory and seeking audience with them.
The 18th NITI Conference and Workshop shall be held in the last week of October 2020.
THE 17th NITI CONFERENCE IN PICTURES
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Resource Papers of the 17th NITI Congress shall be published in the next NITI Journal, which can be purchased online when it is ready.