The General Manager of Pensioner FM, Ibadan, Dr. Otunba Babatunde Tiamiyu, has expressed deep concern over what he described as the growing deterioration in the quality of Yoruba news translation across broadcast media platforms.
In a Facebook post, Otunba Tiamiyu highlighted increasingly awkward and grammatically incorrect translations now appearing in professional news bulletins. He cited examples such as “nigba to njuwe adugbo re…” and “ninu idagbasoke miran…”, questioning how such poorly structured expressions are being approved for air.
According to him, an individual from a South-West state had forwarded the translations to seek clarification, prompting him to reflect on what he considers a worrying trend among contemporary Yoruba news presenters.
“Can you imagine a translator reading that?” he wrote, lamenting the erosion of standard Yoruba usage within a profession that should ideally safeguard linguistic accuracy.
Otunba Tiamiyu described the situation as symptomatic of a deeper decline in language competence and urged broadcasters to prioritize proper training, editorial oversight, and respect for cultural heritage in their newsrooms.
He warned that if the trend continues, the broadcast industry risks normalizing substandard expressions that distort meaning and misrepresent the richness of the Yoruba language.
