The Abia State Government has issued an urgent appeal to the people of Abia and other South-East states to take deliberate action to prevent the Igbo language, culture, and history from dying . The call was made on Thursday in Umuahia during the Canvas and Culture Festival organised by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy .
Government's Call to Action
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Matthew Ekwuribe, addressed secondary school students and participants, stating that the Abia government is doing everything possible to ensure the Igbo language and culture are preserved and strengthened . He expressed concern that many young people of Igbo extraction can no longer express themselves in the Igbo language or demonstrate adequate knowledge of their culture .
Ekwuribe warned about the consequences of cultural erosion, noting that "once we can no longer speak our language or behave like Igbo people, we have lost that cultural value" . He advised those unable to speak their indigenous languages to make conscious efforts to learn them in order to preserve their cultural heritage .
Policy Measures and Initiatives
The state government has taken concrete steps to reverse the trend. Governor Alex Otti's administration has made the Igbo language a compulsory subject in both basic and secondary schools across the state . This policy aims to ensure that children are grounded in their mother tongue from primary 1 through Senior Secondary School 2 level .
According to the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, the objective is to drive a "cultural and social revolution" through the reintroduction of Igbo language instruction . The government has also re-introduced the teaching of History in primary and post-primary institutions .
The administration has taken bold steps to rehabilitate Civil War heritage sites, including the Ojukwu Bunker, the National War Museum, and other cultural and historical locations in the state .
Revival Through Cultural Events
Governor Otti, who was represented at the festival by his deputy Ikechukwu Emetu, charged secondary school students and young people to embrace opportunities in the arts industry . The Canvas and Culture Festival was designed to discover future artistic talents, tackle unemployment among young people, and boost the state's economy .
Similar cultural initiatives have gained momentum, including the "Ekere Mgba Akpauche" competition organised by the Catholic Diocese of Aba, which features debates, question-and-answer sessions, and traditional games conducted entirely in the Igbo language . The government has praised such initiatives for promoting cultural revival .
Concerns About Extinction
UNESCO has classified the Igbo language as "vulnerable," warning of possible endangerment if current trends continue . Experts have identified several factors contributing to the decline, including the preference for English among educated speakers, insufficient technological adaptation of the language, and the failure of intergenerational transmission .
Deputy Governor Emetu noted that it is unfortunate that the Igbo language had been overtaken by English, confirming predictions of its potential extinction . He regretted that many Igbo parents contribute to the loss of the language by not using it in their homes .
Call for Collective Responsibility
The government has emphasised that preserving the Igbo language requires collective effort from parents, schools, religious institutions, and community organisations . Governor Otti previously charged Ohanaeze Ndigbo to take proactive steps in propagating and preserving Igbo culture, warning that "a community without a firm grasp of its cultural identity risks extinction" .
The Commissioner stressed that "the survival of the language and culture depends on deliberate and sustained efforts" from all stakeholders .
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