A group of Igbo women, under the aegis of the Igbo Women Assembly(IWA), have perfected plans to honour music stars, Flavour, Phyno, Umu Obiligbo, among others for using their talents in promoting the Igbo language.
The women, who are concerned by the threat of extinction of Igbo language, will also honour certain comedians led by Uche Ogbuagu, MCExegetive as well as some academics, such as Professor Pita Ejiofo, who have done immensely to keep the Igbo language from dying.
National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who announced this, weekend, at a press conference in Enugu, disclosed that awards would take place in Owerri, the Imo State capital on 21 February, 2024 during the United Nations’ international day for Mother Tongue.
While stating that the honours would be the encourage the awardees to do more, Lolo Chimezie disclosed that the women would use this year’s celebration to appreciate those(both dead and alive) who have been working hard all the years to promote Igbo language and culture.
“In the entertainment world, if you watch, Igbo language is now used for choruses while English language is used for the lyrics.
“However, there are those who have remained consistent with using Igbo language to sing and perform their comedies. Those are the ones we’re targeting for awards. Musicians like: Umuobiligbo, Flavour, Phyno, irrespective of the challenges, they keep on singing in Igbo language.
“There are some professors that have institutionalized Igbo language such as Professor Pita Ejiofo. Also comedians like Uche Ogbuagu, MCExegetive, etc. It’s simply to encourage them to keep on with their act”, she said.
The IWA president, who disclosed that the group had designed a programme to help the Igbo language from going into extinction, said they are determined to promote the use of Igbo language as a major means of communication among Igbo families both in Nigeria and in diaspora.
She appealed to Igbo youths, particularly young parents, to show interest in their mother tongue.
“Igbo language is our own native language and it has been our custom in the Igbo Women Assembly to celebrate the International Day of Mother Tongue every year.
The IWA President, who said the group had already established seven schools in Lagos where Igbo language is taught, disclosed that the group intends to have Igbo language centres across the 36 states if the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to encourage young Igbo to learn and speak the language.
She however regretted that the majority of young Igbo mothers do not like communicating with their children in Igbo language, adding that the development, was already posing an existential threat to the language.
According to her, if no urgent measures were taken to revive and promote the use of Igbo language in daily communications among the people, the language might go into total extinction in about 10 years.
According to her: “A recent research has shown that Igbo language is already at Stage eight of the 11 stages for any language to go into extinction.
“It’s disheartening that present young Igbo mothers no longer speak Igbo to their children. About 80 per cent of these children don’t even understand Igbo anymore. In Enugu State here, 80 percent of the language spoken is English language
“It’s an inferiority complex that makes them speak English to their children instead of Igbo. This ugly trend will kill our language if we keep quiet”.
