Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) and prominent Igbo stakeholders have called on government and relevant institutions in Southeast to enforce laws that promote the use of Igbo language in various sectors, as part of efforts to revitalize the language.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
the group made the call in Awka, during an event to mark the United Nations Mother Tongue Day 2026.
The event themed “Asusu Igbo na Omenaala: Ngwaoru Maka Oganiihu Nke Akunuba Na Oha Obodo (Igbo Language and Culture: Tools For Socio-Economic Development”), was organized by IWA in collaboration with 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, with a huge percentage of the younger generation largely unable to speak it.
“Death of a language occurs in stages. Our language, which is Igbo, is at the second to the last stage of extinction. This is because 80 percent of the generation that will take over from us today do not know how to speak or write Igbo language.
“Our language is now like a dying child in our hands. Worst is that we have discovered that those based in Igbo land do not know how to speak the Igbo but prefer to use English in their day-to-day activities. This is pure evidence that the language is phasing out.”
Lolo Chimezie emphasized the need for institutions to consider establishment and enforcement of laws to revitalize use of the language in the southeast and beyond, noting that only the effort of IWA in championing Igbo language survival may not yield 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 been at the forefront of promoting Igbo language through various programmes, but our impact remains limited.
“We need to enforce the use of our language. We call on stakeholders in leadership positions- town unions, church leaders, traditional rulers, women groups, schools, and government agencies- to rise to the occasion. These institutions must make and enforce laws that strengthen the use of our language.
“We must all understand that Igbo language is our identity. If we allow it to die, we lose more than words – we lose our heritage, our unity, our geographic identity, and the one thing that binds us as a people. No region thrives without its language. To lose our language is to lose who we are,” she said.
In his remarks, Traditional Ruler of Ifitedunu Community in Anambra, Igwe Chukwuemeka Ilouno, called for a collective effort to promote the Igbo language, warning against the predicted extinction of the language.
“Many tribes are currently losing their language including we Ndigbo. Ours was predicted to phase out in 50 years. We must strive to save our language from dying and encourage use in our homes and learning centers,” he said.
Guest lecturer of the day, Prof Cecilia Amaoge Eme, during her lecture on “Asusu Olundi: Ihe Nketa na Oke Ndi Igbo” said Igbo language should be preserved and promoted as it is a vital tool for Igbo cultural preservation, socio-economic development, and national identity, noting that its loss would disconnect Ndigbo from their roots and history.
Another speaker, Prof Onukwube Alex, duro presentation on: “Asusu na Ime Ezi Omume”, urged the government to make Igbo language a compulsory subject in schools and a prerequisite for graduation, emphasizing that this would boost its adoption and preservation among young Igbo people.
Chairman, Anambra State Town Union Council, ASTUC, Sir Vincent Dike, maintained that promotion of Igbo language and culture is a duty that is binding on all Igbo sons and daughters. He assured to partner IWA and any interested association to champion the promotion of Igbo language and ensure it is sustained all over the world.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Anambra State, Mr. Donatus Onyeji, expressed the state’s commitment to promoting Igbo language and culture, citing Governor Soludo’s assurance to rebuild Igbo core values, which includes speaking Igbo.
Onyeji encouraged citizens to speak Igbo to their children and assured that the government will work with the event’s outcomes to advance Igbo culture and language.
