Gov Diri Backs Ijaw Language Revival, Adopts Annual Awareness Summit

By Majesty Inegbagha

YENAGOA — Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has pledged his administration’s support for the newly developed Ijaw Language App, codenamed Dayama Demo, as part of efforts to preserve and revive the Ijaw language.

Sen. Douye Diri, Governor, Bàyelsa State

Diri made the commitment on Monday at the Ijaw Language Awareness Summit, themed “Reviving the Izon Language: Our Heritage, Our Identity, Our Future,” held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.

The summit was organised as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State.

The governor expressed concern over the gradual decline of the Ijaw language, urging Ijaw people and other Bayelsans to make conscious efforts to preserve and promote the language for future generations.

He commended popular Ijaw musician, Asu Ekiye, for convening the summit and described him as a worthy ambassador of the Ijaw nation.

Diri announced that the event would henceforth become an annual programme in the state, to be anchored by the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs.

He also commended former Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, Ijaw language presenter, Erema Yanga, and others who, according to him, had contributed to efforts to preserve Ijaw heritage and culture.

The governor called on private organisations and individuals to partner with the government in supporting creative talents promoting the Ijaw language.

He further urged the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to collaborate with the state government on the language revival project and called for the reactivation of the Prof. Kay Williamson Centre at Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

Diri also directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure the organisation of quizzes and debates in the Ijaw language in primary and secondary schools across the state.

The governor recalled that the effort to revive the Ijaw language was initiated by his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, in 2018, when the Kolokuma dialect was adopted as the official language of the state.

According to him, 200 teachers were subsequently recruited to teach the language in public schools.

“The responsibility of teaching our children our language lies squarely with parents. So every family should strive to communicate always in their mother tongue,” Diri said.

He added that the annual awareness programme would not be limited to the summit but would be expanded to provide broader participation by families and communities.

“What we are doing today is about the preservation of our language, mode of dressing as well as the cuisine that make up the sum total of our culture and tradition as Ijaws,” he said.

In his keynote address, Tuodolo identified inadequate use of the Ijaw language by parents at home as one of the major threats to its survival.

He also cited the preference for other indigenous languages and what he described as the removal of Izon from the list of official languages recognised by the Federal Government as challenges confronting the language.

Tuodolo urged Ijaw people to speak the language more frequently at home, during ceremonies and at other social engagements as a means of preserving their cultural identity.

The convener of the summit, Ekiye, said the survival of the Ijaw language depended largely on the choices and actions of the people.

He said the language was at a critical stage, with everyday usage declining, particularly among younger people, stressing that urgent measures were required to reverse the trend.

Ekiye appealed to the state government to formally recognise the Ijaw Language Resuscitation Initiative and establish a dedicated focal unit to coordinate its activities.

He also proposed the systematic audio-visual documentation of oral histories, songs, proverbs and traditional stories, as well as the establishment of a network of language champions and language clubs in schools and pilot communities.

Ekiye and his compatriot, Barrister Smooth, received awards for their contributions to the promotion of Ijaw language and tradition through music.

Veteran journalist, Asu Beks, was also honoured for his contribution to the promotion of Ijaw values and traditions through journalism.

Musicians who performed at the event included B2S Tare Oge Master, Trace Ailies, Dr. Gesiere Ebizimor-Nicholas, Erema Yanga and Pastor Amange BE Amange.