[Commlist] CFP: ILMA 10th Anniversary Symposium - Indigenous Language Media in Africa Research Focus Area

NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA
Indigenous Language Media in Africa Research Focus Area
10th Anniversary Symposium on Indigenous Language Media and Communication
25-26 August 2026, Birchwood Conference Centre, Kempton Park
Theme: “Legends of the Past, Present and Tomorrow”
________________________________________
Background and Rationale
Indigenous languages are carriers of culture, history, and identity. 
They hold the ancestral knowledge systems, oral traditions, and 
worldviews of communities across the globe. Yet, many of these languages 
are endangered, underrepresented, or marginalized in mainstream media 
and communication platforms.
As the world rapidly globalises, the space for indigenous voices in 
media becomes increasingly limited, threatening the intergenerational 
transmission of these languages. However, indigenous language media 
practitioners, storytellers, scholars, and activists are finding new and 
innovative ways to revitalize, preserve, and promote their languages 
through traditional oral storytelling, digital media, community radio, 
film, print, and social media platforms.

With the overarching theme “Legends of the Past, Present and Tomorrow”, 
this conference seeks to explore how indigenous language media can serve 
as a bridge connecting the historical depth of indigenous knowledge, 
contemporary communication strategies, and the future of indigenous 
expression and identity.
At the heart of this exploration are the activities of the Indigenous 
Language Media in Africa (ILMA) Research Focus Area, which engages 
critically with the production, representation, dissemination, and 
reception of media in African indigenous languages. Since its inception, 
ILMA has significantly contributed to scholarship in this field, 
producing a robust body of work in the form of journal articles, 
conferences, and edited volumes. These studies offer key insights into 
how indigenous language media preserve cultural heritage and oral 
traditions while also empowering communities through culturally resonant 
storytelling, journalism, and digital innovation (see Adesina, Salawu & 
Adeyeye, 2025; Fadipe, Salawu & Ogundeyi, 2024; Mathe & Motsaathebe, 
2023; Molale & Mpofu, 2023, Salawu et al., 2022; Tshabangu & Salawu, 
2022; Salawu, 2020; Amenaghawon, 2019; Motsaathebe, 2018; Salawu, 2018; 
Salawu, 2016). A notable recent contribution from ILMA is the 2025 
Routledge publication Marketing Communication in African Languages (see 
Salawu & Oyesomi, 2025).

Beyond its academic outputs, ILMA has been instrumental in advancing 
indigenous language media through public engagement initiatives 
including seminars, lectures, and conferences. Somes key milestones 
include hosting the 2024 biennial conference of the International 
Association for Minority Language Media Research (IAMLMR) at North-West 
University, Mahikeng, South Africa, an event that brought together 
scholars from around the world, the bestowing of two Honorary Doctorates 
at North-West University. Through its research, publishing, and public 
engagement, ILMA continues to shape the development and sustainability 
of ethnic media and indigenous languages across Africa. It is through 
this lens that the conference invites participants to critically reflect 
on how the legacies of the past inform present practices and shape the 
future of indigenous language media on the continent.
________________________________________
Conference Objectives
•To critically examine the role of media and communication in preserving 
and promoting indigenous languages.
•To showcase innovative practices, research, and projects that centre 
indigenous language use in storytelling and communication.
•To provide a platform for dialogue and exchange among indigenous 
language media practitioners, academics, linguists, artists, and 
policymakers.
•To build networks for collaboration in indigenous language 
revitalization efforts through media.
•To reflect on ILMA’s impact in the last ten years and inspire future 
directions in research, practice, and preservation
________________________________________

Call for Abstracts
We invite scholars, media practitioners, community leaders, artists, and 
students to submit abstracts that engage with the conference theme. 
Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following sub-themes:
•Oral Traditions and Storytelling: Narratives as vehicles of indigenous 
memory, knowledge, and identity.
•Community Media and Language Preservation: The role of radio, 
television, and local publications in language revitalization.
•Digital Futures: Indigenous language use on social media, podcasts, 
video games, and mobile applications.
•Policy, Advocacy, and Rights: Legal frameworks, policy initiatives, and 
activism for indigenous language media.
•Intergenerational Dialogue: Youth engagement and the role of elders in 
language transmission through media.
•Indigenous Journalism: Reporting in and about indigenous languages and 
communities.
•Visual and Performing Arts in Language Media: Theatre, film, music, and 
visual arts as tools for linguistic and cultural transmission.
•Research and Methodologies: Innovative academic approaches to studying 
indigenous language media.
•Indigenous Language Media and Communication for Development and Social 
Change
________________________________________
Submission Guidelines
•Abstract Length: 250–300 words
•Languages Accepted: Indigenous languages (with an accompanying English 
translation) and English
•Deadline for Submission: 30 November 2025
•Extended Deadline for Submission: 30 January 2026
•Notification of Acceptance: 13 February 2026
•Registration Opens: 1 April 2026
•Registration Closes: 15 July 2026
•Full Paper Submission post-symposium (if applicable):  Interested 
contributors with full papers can have their submissions considered for 
publications in the International Journal of Indigenous Language Media 
and Discourse (IJILMD) - Open Access Journal.
•In line with the NWU Language Policy, abstracts in the following 
languages will also be welcome, provided they are translated into English:
-Setswana
-Sesotho
-Afrikaans
-SASL
•Submissions should include the following:
-Title of the paper/presentation
-Name(s) of author(s)
-Institutional affiliation or community representation
-eMail address
-Sub-theme addressed
Please send abstracts to: (ilma /at/ nwu.ac.za)
For inquiries, contact the LOC secretariat, Dr Bukola Ajala and Mr 
Ofentse Ngake via (ilma /at/ nwu.ac.za)
________________________________________
Conference Fees
Registration fee:
•Established scholars: R 3 500
•Students: R 1 500
________________________________________
Symposium Format
The symposium will be held in-person. It will feature keynote 
presentation(s), panel discussions, cultural performances, and exhibitions.
________________________________________
Conclusion
By reflecting on the “legends” of our past, engaging with those shaping 
the present, and envisioning the future of indigenous language 
communication, this symposium aims to inspire a renewed commitment to 
linguistic and cultural diversity. We invite you to be part of this 
critical conversation and celebration of indigenous voices in media.
________________________________________
References
Adesina, E., Salawu, A. and Adeyeye, B., 2025. Bridging cultural gaps in 
health communication: Indigenous language as a catalyst for combatting 
monkeypox in Lagos, Nigeria. South African Journal of African Languages, 
pp.1-10.
Salawu, A., Molale, T.B., Uribe-Jongbloed, E. and Ullah, M.A., 2022  
Indigenous Language for Development Communication in the Global South, p.1.
Fadipe, I.A., Salawu, A. and Ogundeyi, O.J., 2024. Indigenous languages 
as predictors of understanding and accepting COVID-19 vaccines in 
Nigeria and South Africa. Communicare: Journal for Communication 
Sciences in Southern Africa, 43(2), pp.76-89.
Mathe, L., & Motsaathebe, G. (2023). The political eco‐ nomy of 
Indigenous local media for minority lan‐ guages in Zimbabwe: A case of 
Lyeja FM community radio. Journal of Asian and African Studies. Advance 
online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219 096231160233
Tshabangu, T. and Salawu, A., 2022. Indigenous-language media research 
in Africa: Gains, losses, towards a new research agenda. African 
Journalism Studies, 43(1), pp.1-16.
Amenaghawon, F., 2019. Priming of the 2019 Presidential Election in 
Nigeria in Indigenous Language Newspaper: A Content Analysis of Alaroye 
Newspaper. Scope & Editorial Policy, p.129.
Motsaathebe, G., 2018. When the subaltern speaks: Re-examining 
indigenous-language media as alternative public sphere during colonial 
South Africa. Journal of African Media Studies, 10(2), pp.169-183.
Salawu, A. ed., 2018. African language digital media and communication. 
London: Routledge.
Salawu, A., 2016. Indigenous language media and democracy in Africa. In 
Indigenous language media, language politics and democracy in Africa 
(pp. 13-27). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.


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