Word Speech Day 2024
Friday, March 15 was Word Speech Day (WSD) 2024 with the theme “Speech for Better World”! Word Speech Day is a celebration day for all Nigerians and other people of the world. First, in 2015, Simon Gibson founded WSD at Athens Democracy Forum to celebrate free speech, public speaking and public speakers. In 2016, WSD […]
Friday, March 15 was Word Speech Day (WSD) 2024 with the theme “Speech for Better World”! Word Speech Day is a celebration day for all Nigerians and other people of the world. First, in 2015, Simon Gibson founded WSD at Athens Democracy Forum to celebrate free speech, public speaking and public speakers. In 2016, WSD was inaugurated and first celebrated in Athens and Singapore. In 2020, the number of countries celebrating WSD grew to over one hundred. As a result of this milestone, Facebookers and YouTubers started live-streaming it.
World Speech Day is a celebration day for all Nigerians. Prior to 1960 when we were officially an independent nation from Britain, there were a series of speeches by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe etc, in Britain.
In some African countries and above all here in Nigeria, there were media campaigns and processions all in a bid to free Nigeria from the shackles of colonial masters. Sheikh
Uthman Danfodio reformed Islam in Northern Nigeria not because he was the most pious or educated person. Nor was it because he was the most fearless warrior but largely, if not solely, because he was a very persuasive speaker. The same is true of Malam Aminu Kano who won the Kano East constituency at the federal legislature in the second republic.
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Likewise in 1979, his party PRP, won the Kano and Kaduna gubernatorial seats. As we are black and Africans, so also is Barrack Obama who originally is from Kenya, therefore, his political victory affects us. Obama became the first black African American President, according to analysts, because he could speak persuasively to the audience.
Teaching is a form of speech falling under informative public speaking, this is to say, all educated people are educated because teachers taught them. Imagine the world without teachers! Will there be medical doctors who take care of our health, engineers who design and make cars for us, pilots who fly us, military and other security personnel who secure us, bankers who keep and manage our money or even journalists who hunt for news professionally and inform us? Will there be any of these professionals and many more?
Whatever religion you follow, the religion reaches you through public speakers who are God’s agents. They used largely informative and persuasive public speaking to extend the religion to people. Also, you know how to worship God through public speakers who teach you at schools the performance of the religion, as prescribed by God and his messenger.
Looking at how public speaking is responsible for the independence of Nigeria, the reformation of Islam in northern Nigeria, teaching northerners (of that time), resistance to bad governance, and an African becoming president of the almighty America. Additionally, considering how public speaking is responsible for the life amenities and peace we enjoy etcetera, it is not bad to conclude that, World Speech Day is worth celebrating every year by all of us at our distinct capacities because, in a way, celebrating the day, is celebrating all the public speakers responsible for the civilized world we are all proud of now.
Bello Sagir Imam, is a public speaking coach and can be reached via [email protected]