Women group vows to stop Igbo language from extinction, organises workshop in Anambra

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Igbo women, under the aegis of the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), have vowed to stop Igbo language from going into extinction, blaming its endangered status on the growing disinterest among younger generations.

In a statement signed by IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, the group announced that this year’s Mother Tongue Day celebration will be held on Saturday, in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The women explained that the decision to relocate the celebration of the International Mother Tongue Day from Lagos to the South East, three years ago, was deliberate and aimed at reviving the use of Igbo language and culture within the region.

“We celebrated the United Nations Mother Tongue Day in Lagos from 2020 to 2023. However, three years ago, we decided to move it to the South East after discovering that even people in our villages were increasingly abandoning the language.

“Regrettably, about 90 per cent of our children between the ages of one and 15 neither understand nor speak Igbo. That is why we brought the celebration home—to promote the language among our younger generation.”

The statement added that the event will be preceded by a symposium on Friday, at 4pm, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, featuring lectures and panel discussions that will focus on the preservation and promotion of Igbo language and culture.

IWA noted that the first South East edition was held in Owerri, Imo State, in 2024, followed by Umuahia, Abia State, in 2025, with Awka hosting the 2026 edition.

Lolo Chimezie argued that Igbo language is neither inferior nor a mistake, urging Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora to be intentional about passing the language to the next generation.

She commended Igbo families in China and the United States, who are actively promoting Igbo language and culture among their children.

IWA called on Igbo leaders, community presidents-general, opinion leaders, and stakeholders across the South East to actively participate in the Awka event, in support of the campaign to preserve the Igbo language and cultural heritage.

She disclosed that the President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Azu Mbata; former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Professor Stella Okunna; and Eze Chukwuemeka Nri (Aka Jiofo Nri) are among the dignitaries expected at the two-day event.

Mother Tongue Day, celebrated in collaboration with the United Nations, is designed to promote indigenous languages and prevent them from going into extinction.