Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) and other prominent Igbo stakeholders have called on governments and relevant institutions in the South-East to enact and enforce laws that promote the use of the Igbo language across various sectors as part of efforts to revitalise it.
The call was made in Awka during an event marking the 2026 International Mother Tongue Day.
The programme, themed “Asụsụ Igbo na Omenala: Ngwaọrụ Maka Ọganiihu Nke Akụnụba na Ọha Obodo (Igbo Language and Culture: Tools for Socio-Economic Development),” was organised by IWA in collaboration with the Council of Igbo States in America (CISA) and Ohaneze Ndigbo on Saturday.
Speaking at the event, IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, warned that the Igbo language is gradually dying, noting that a large percentage of the younger generation can neither speak nor write it fluently.
“Death of a language occurs in stages. Our language, Igbo, is at the second-to-last stage of extinction. This is because 80 per cent of the generation that will take over from us do not know how to speak or write Igbo,” she said.
“Our language is now like a dying child in our hands. Worse still, many people living in Igbo land prefer to use English in their daily activities. This is clear evidence that the language is phasing out.”
Chimezie stressed the need for institutions to establish and enforce laws that would revitalise the language in the South-East and beyond, noting that IWA’s efforts alone may not achieve the desired results.
“It is clear that individual and group efforts alone cannot save our language. We need a collective and enforceable approach. Since 2020, IWA has championed programmes promoting the Igbo language, but our impact remains limited.
“We call on stakeholders in leadership positions — town unions, church leaders, traditional rulers, women groups, schools and government agencies — to rise to the occasion by making and enforcing laws that strengthen the use of our language.
“Igbo language is our identity. If we allow it to die, we lose more than words — we lose our heritage, unity and the bond that defines us as a people. No region thrives without its language. To lose our language is to lose who we are,” she added.
In his opening remarks, the traditional ruler of Ifitedunu community in Anambra State, Igwe Chukwuemeka Ilouno, called for collective action to promote the language, warning against predictions of its possible extinction.
“Many tribes are currently losing their languages, including we Ndigbo. Ours was predicted to phase out in 50 years. We must strive to save our language and encourage its use in our homes and learning centres,” he said.
Delivering a lecture titled “Asụsụ Olundi: Ihe Nketa na Oke Ndị Igbo”, Prof. Cecilia Amaoge Eme described the Igbo language as a vital tool for cultural preservation, socio-economic development and national identity, warning that its loss would disconnect Ndigbo from their roots and history.
Another speaker, Prof. Onukwube Alex, in a presentation titled “Asụsụ na Ime Ezi Omume,” urged the government to make Igbo language a compulsory subject in schools and a prerequisite for graduation, arguing that this would boost its adoption and preservation among young people.
Chairman of the Anambra State Town Union Council (ASTUC), Sir Vincent Dike, said promoting Igbo language and culture is a binding duty on all Igbo sons and daughters. He pledged the council’s partnership with IWA and other interested groups to sustain the language globally.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Donatus Onyeji, reiterated the state government’s commitment to promoting Igbo language and culture, citing Governor Soludo’s resolve to rebuild core Igbo values, including the use of the language.
He urged parents to speak Igbo to their children and assured that the government would consider the resolutions reached at the event in advancing Igbo language and culture.
