Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Anambra State, Charles Nwoji, has welcomed the initiative for collaboration with a cultural heritage promoting organisation, Mmaigbo Empowerment Foundation (MIEF), to particularly save Igbo language from going into extinction.

The partnership, The Guardian gathered, is a revitalisation move against the 2025 date given for Igbo language to fade out as spoken language.

Speaking on the sideline of the First Skill Exhibition and Empowerment Grand Finale of MmaIgbo Empowerment Foundation (MIEF), with the theme, ‘Promoting Igbo Cultural Heritage and Identity through Skills Acquisition and Empowerment,’ Nwoji noted that MIEF has undertaken a number of programmes aimed at reviving and promoting Igbo culture, especially language.

Nwoji expressed immense gratitude to the foundation for helping the NOA in its area of cultural orientation; an action he said has made it easier for the agency to make an in-road into cultural projection.

He also observed that the clamour for patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods by Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been embraced by MIEF through its cultural-oriented Fashion and Bead making Departments.

In her remarks, the Director of Communication and Language of MIEF, Nkechi Okoye, dismissed the insinuation that Igbo language would go into extinction by 2025.

Okoye anchored her positive belief on efforts of MIEF to use youth skills acquisition and empowerment programme to save the language.

She explained that the Foundation holds regular programmes aimed at promoting and rejuvenating Igbo cultural heritage, values and dignity like use of Igbo attire, speaking and writing quiz competitions in Igbo Language, Igbo Apprenticeship Scheme, Igbo creative ability, craftsmanship, among others

According to her, organising such Igbo programmes has been one of the ways to keep young people busy and achieve eradication of social vices among them and ensure a crime-free society.

Okoye said that one of the ways the Foundation tries to revive, project and promote Igbo Language is through its school outreach and Catch’em Young initiative, through which students are encouraged to identify with Igbo cultural heritage, especially in speaking and writing in mother tongue.