Lagos state government prepares 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, using OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, seeks to ensure proper compliance and reduce application costs
• The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Law Reform Commission emphasized 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 on the Translation of Lagos State Laws into Yorub, which was organized by the Law Reform Commission together with the Lagos State Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget.

Translating laws into Yoruba

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

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The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Law Reform Commission, Mrs. Umul-Kulthum Ninilomo Bashar, said the initiative aims to empower people and improve 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 promote greater voluntary compliance with laws that are poorly understood due to language barriers.

Mrs. Adejoke Deborah Olajide, Yoruba Language Consultant to the Lagos State House of Assembly, further explained the importance of translating the laws of Lagos State 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.”

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She added:

“This effort is not just about legal understanding, but also about preserving our linguistic heritage for future generations.”

Governor to pay workers N100,000 as minimum wage

About that, Legitimate.ng earlier reported that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced that his administration will increase the minimum salary of civil servants in the state to N100k by January 2025.

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

Source: Legit.ng