Mother Tongue Day: YOD NGO Advocates For Preservation Of Igbo Language, Culture
L-R: Ambassador Emmanuel Ejiogu, President,Youth Orientation for Development (YOD), in hand shake with Eze Osondu Augustine Nwego, the Eze Oha 1 of Ebonyi, who is also the Eze Igbo of Ikorodu during the former’s advocacy visit to the Palace of Eze Igbo of Ikorodu In Ikorodu recently.
In a move to counter the prediction by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that the Igbo language will go into extinction in the nearest future, the President, Youth Orientation for Development (YOD), a UNESCO NGO, Ambassador Emmanuel Ejiogu, in marking this year’s International Mother Tongue Day, paid an advocacy visit to two custodian of the Igbo culture to work out modalities in ensuring the preservation of Igbo language and culture.
International Mother Tongue Day is celebrated every year on 21st February. The main purpose is to promote the awareness of language and cultural diversity all across the world. Languages are the most powerful way to preserve and develop culture and promote it across the world. The day is to appreciate and encourage people to be knowledgeable about their mother tongue and provide them with awareness regarding the promotion of their language and culture towards other countries.
Eze Osondu Augustine Nwego, the Eze Oha 1 of Ebonyi, who is also the Eze Igbo of Ikorodu during an interview with the NTA Crew on the need to preserve Igbo language and culture.
It could be recalled that In the year 2012, UNESCO predicted the extinction of the Igbo language by 2025 following the classification of the language as one of the endangered languages of the world.
An endangered language is a language that runs the risk of falling out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language.
The YOD President, during the visits, pledged to partner with various likeminded Ndigbo Organisations, Institutions and individuals to ensure the reversal of the UNESCO prediction.
“We at YOD are ready and willing to partner with any of this groups in reversing the prediction,” he said.
The advocacy visits took the YOD President to Eze Oha 1 of Ebonyi, Eze Osondu Augustine Nwego, who also doubles as the Eze Igbo of Ikorodu and the office of the Ndigbo Lagos Foundation.
The visit to the Ndigbo Lagos Foundation, according to Ambassador Ejiogu, “was a follow up to our collaboration in 2018 edition of the mother tongue day where the then President of the Foundation Prof. Anya O. Anya chaired the event.”
He said the aim of the visit was for them to put into action in finding a way to encourage the speaking of the the mother tongue among our wards, adding that research has shown that most of our Igbo parent don’t speak the language to their children, they prefer to communicate in English and as a result many of this children are loosing their mother tongue.
“This visit therefore seeks to raise the awareness for the need to promote the use of the language through various communication channels and media, especially among Igbo children. Igbo literatures, films, music, etc should be encouraged and promoted,” Ejiogu added.
Responding, His Royal Highness, Eze Osondu Augustine Nwego appreciated the visit, stating that all hands most be on deck in getting the Igbo language out of endangered languages.
“All Igbo Social Cultural groups most wake up and find a way to remedy this situation. Part of the action plan is to encourage parents to make it a point of duty to begin speaking and teaching their wards the language at home and the Eze promises to use his good office in mobilizing other social cultural groups of the Igbo extraction to start thinking of organizing programs that will caught the interest of the children to their language.”
According to Ambassador Emmanuel Ejiogu, Ndigbo Lagos Foundation In collaboration with the Youth Orientation For Development (YOD), a UNESCO NGO committed to promoting the programmes and values of UNESCO in Nigeria and NGBAKO ASUSU IGBO, an Igbo social cultural organization seeking to promote the language among the Igbo in Diaspora have carefully selected the theme: ASUSU IGBO GA-ADI as a way of countering the prediction of the extinction of the Igbo language in just a matter of years.
“It has sadly been discovered that the Igbo language is falling out of the communication choice of many Igbo people. This is why it is appropriate to use the occasion of the celebration of this year’s International Mother Tongue Day to raise the awareness of the danger befalling the Igbo language with its rich cultural heritages.
“Those of us in the Youth Orientation for Development (YOD), a UNESCO NGO are equally passionate about this. We are not just particular about the Igbo language alone but the other rich languages that make this entity we call Nigeria. We are ready to continue to collaborate with and support all the social cultural groups who are concerned with the promotion and perseveration of our diverse cultures because this is one of the ideals of UNESCO.
“Let me end by bringing to you this short message of Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General: “On the occasion of this Day, I launch an appeal for the potential of multilingual education to be acknowledged everywhere, in education and administrative systems, in cultural expressions and the media, cyberspace and trade.”
