Bayelsa backs Ijaw language app and school competitions

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has pledged government support for Dayama Demo, a newly developed Ijaw language application, as part of efforts to preserve and revive the language. Diri made the commitment on Monday at the Ijaw Language Awareness Summit in Yenagoa. The event was organised to mark Bayelsa’s 30th anniversary and was themed “Reviving the Izon Language: Heritage, Our Identity, Our Future.” The governor said the declining use of Ijaw, particularly among younger people, threatened its survival.

He urged parents to make the mother tongue the main language of communication at home. “The responsibility of teaching our children our language lies squarely with parents,” Diri said, according to Punch. “So every family should strive to communicate always in their mother tongue.” He directed the Commissioner for Education to organise Ijaw language quizzes and debates in primary and secondary schools across the state.

Diri also said the government would institutionalise the awareness programme and hold it annually. The annual event will be coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, he said. Next year’s edition is expected to involve more families and stakeholders.

Diri added that protecting Ijaw identity should include preserving traditional dress, cuisine and other cultural practices. He called on the Ijaw National Congress to work with the state government and help reactivate the Prof. Kay Williamson Centre at Kaiama.

The governor also appealed to private organisations and individuals to support creative projects promoting the language. Earlier, Dr Felix Tuodolo and summit convener Asu Ekiye identified reduced use of Ijaw in homes as a major threat. Ekiye proposed audio-visual documentation of oral histories, songs, proverbs and stories, along with language clubs and networks of language champions.