The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Azuta-Mbata, has cautioned that the Igbo language risks extinction if decisive and collective steps are not taken to revitalise it.

He gave the warning at the 2026 Igbo Efula Mother Tongue Day celebration held in Enugu, where he described the language as the soul and identity of the Igbo people. According to him, losing the language would mean erasing a critical component of their heritage.

“Today, we gather to reaffirm our commitment to preserving our beautiful language, culture and heritage. Igbo is our Identity and pride. But today, it is at risk of extinction. We must act now,” he said.

Azuta-Mbata, who was represented at the event by the Enugu State President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nze Uche Damian Obisi, urged parents, teachers and community leaders to make deliberate efforts to speak and teach Igbo to younger generations. He also encouraged young people to embrace their cultural roots with pride.

“As leaders and custodians of our culture, we must ensure Igbo thrives. Let us speak it, teach it, write books in it, create content in it and pass it on to our children,” he added.

The programme was organised by Igbo Efula, a civil society organisation dedicated to promoting Igbo language and culture, as part of activities marking the International Day of the Mother Tongue.

Representing the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Uche Ugwu, the lawmaker representing Oji River State Constituency, Osita Eze, described the initiative as timely and necessary.

“The programme today is a wonderful one. Any tribe or country that loses her mother tongue is lost forever,” Eze said, lamenting that many Igbo homes have stopped speaking the language.

He described the situation as disturbing, warning that without urgent correction, the language could disappear in the near future.

Eze called on families to begin from their homes by speaking Igbo to their children, while schools, churches and government establishments should also promote its use, especially at the foundational levels of education.

He disclosed that discussions were ongoing at the legislative level to strengthen policies that would encourage the use of Igbo in public institutions.

Chairman of the occasion, Professor Obiamaka Eriobuna Opara of Abia State University, Uturu, expressed concern that many educated parents now see speaking Igbo as inferior to English.

She lamented that even within her family, her grandchildren do not speak Igbo fluently, describing the development as painful and alarming.

According to her, language remains the strongest vehicle for transmitting culture and tradition from one generation to another.

President of Igbo Efula, Mazi Birsmack Oji, said the event aligns with the annual celebration of International Mother Language Day set aside every February 21 to promote linguistic diversity.

He noted that 12 secondary schools participated in competitions ranging from music and dance to proverbs and written contests, with Queens School Enugu emerging overall winner for the second consecutive year.

The overall winner, Miss Etidong Treasure Bassey of Queens School Enugu, and student from Federal Government College Enugu expressed pride in showcasing their knowledge, reinforcing the shared resolve that the Igbo language must not be allowed to die. (The Nation)