Nigerian state announces move to translate laws into Yoruba language, gives reason

• The Lagos State Government has announced its decision to translate current state laws from English into Yoruba
• The initiative, utilising OpenAI's GPT-4 technology, seeks to ensure adequate compliance and reduce enforcement costs
• Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Law Reform Commission emphasised that this project empowers people

Ikeja, Lagos state - On Wednesday, October 16, the Lagos State Government announced its decision to translate current state laws from English into Yoruba at a One-Day Stakeholders’ Meeting.

Held at the Debt Management Office in Ikeja, the meeting revolved around the People’s Perception Survey regarding the Translation of Lagos State Laws into Yorub, which was organised by the Law Reform Commission along with the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget.

Lagos state government announces translation of laws into Yoruba. Photo credit: X/@lasg
Source: Twitter

Translating laws into Yoruba

Utilising OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology for the translation process, the initiative will stanch the understanding gap among the diverse Yoruba-speaking population in Lagos State and beyond to ensure adequate compliance.

The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Law Reform Commission, Mrs. Umul-Kulthum Ninilomo Bashar, said the initiative is about empowering the people and improving their understanding.

She said:

“For too long, language barriers have led to misunderstandings and non-compliance, making law enforcement more costly and creating friction between the government and its people.”

He added that the project would reduce enforcement costs and foster greater voluntary compliance with poorly understood laws due to the language barrier.

Mrs Adejoke Deborah Olajide, the Yoruba language consultant for the Lagos State House of Assembly, further explained the importance of translating Lagos State laws into Yoruba.

In her words:

“Yoruba is the native language of a significant portion of the population, and this translation project will allow more people to understand the laws that govern them. This initiative will bridge the gap between legal jargon and the everyday language spoken by the majority.”

She added:

“This effort is not only about legal comprehension but also about preserving our linguistic heritage for future generations.”

Governor to pay workers N100,000 as minimum wage

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has announced that his government will raise the minimum wage of public workers in the state to N100k in January 2025.

He made this assertion on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, after announcing that his government plans to pay workers a minimum wage of N85,000.

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Source: Legit.ng