On September 30, 2026, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, pledged his administration's support for the newly developed Ijaw Language App, code-named Dayama Demo. This move is part of efforts to preserve and revive the Ijaw language. The governor made this commitment at the Ijaw Language Awareness Summit in Yenagoa, held as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of Bayelsa State's creation.
The Ijaw Language Awareness Summit, with the theme "Reviving The Izon Language: Heritage, Our Identity, Our Future," was held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall. Governor Diri expressed concern that the Ijaw language was gradually losing ground and urged parents and other Bayelsans to make deliberate efforts to speak it at home and teach it to younger generations. He emphasized that preserving the language is critical to safeguarding the identity, culture, and heritage of the Ijaw people.
Governor Diri announced that the Ijaw Language Awareness Summit would henceforth become an annual event anchored by the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs. He directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that quizzes and debates in the Ijaw language are organized in primary and secondary schools across the state. This move aims to encourage the use of the Ijaw language among young people and promote its revival.
The governor also urged the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to work with the 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. He noted that his predecessor, Seriake Dickson, had started the move to revive the language by adopting the Kolokuma dialect as the central language in the state and recruiting 200 teachers to teach it in public schools on February 25, 2018.
In his remarks, former Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, identified declining use of the mother tongue in homes as one of the major threats to the survival of the language. He urged Ijaw people to speak the language more frequently at home, during ceremonies, and at other social engagements. Tuodolo emphasized the need for collective efforts to promote the Ijaw language and culture.
Convener of the summit, Asu Ekiye, said the survival of the language depended on the choices and actions of the people. He warned that everyday use of Ijaw was declining rapidly, particularly among younger people, and called for immediate intervention. Ekiye appealed to the state government to formally recognize the Ijaw Language Resuscitation Initiative and establish a focal unit to coordinate its activities.
The event featured awards for individuals and organizations promoting Ijaw language and tradition, including Asu Ekiye and fellow musician Barr. Smooth. Other performers at the event included B2S Tare Oge Master, Trace Ailies, Dr. Gesiere Ebizimor-Nicholas, Erema Yanga, and Pastor Amange BE Amange. The governor commended Ekiye for convening the summit and described him as an ambassador of the Ijaw nation.
Key points
- Governor Douye Diri pledges support for the Ijaw Language App to promote the Ijaw language.
- The Ijaw Language Awareness Summit to become an annual event.
- Quizzes and debates in Ijaw language to be organized in schools.
