NewStats: 3,265,067 , 8,185,528 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 10:53 AM 653f25

WHY YORUBA AND HAUSA ARE TAUGHT IN US SCHOOLS BUT NO IGBO~ Maazi ogbonnaya

For many years in the past, I had been writing that Fulbright scholarship— US Government funded Yoruba and Hausa language teachers to teach Yoruba and Hausa language and culture in many US universities annually, but no Igbo.

A few years ago, the call for Yoruba and Hausa language teachers to go teach in the United States was up. I saw so many ndị Ìgbo crying of marginalization. Why only Yoruba and Hausa when Igbo is one of the major languages and culture? Some blamed US government and say it's marginalization. I saw those posts on Twitter and Facebook and shook my head. I knew the problem but wasn't yet in a better position to talk. I needed more facts.

For many years, I was applying to some courses in a few universities in the US on African Studies. It was compulsory to pick any African Language. I saw Nigeria, hoping to see Igbo. I saw Yoruba and Hausa. I began to write to the school but to no avail. The general language almost everyone in America recognizes to be African language is Swahili. Even a child in America knows there is Swahili. East Africans are pushing up their identities and language. So many American linguists are studying Swahili and even teach it.

Now! Listen! I am in a better position now to tell you the true nature of events and not the lies and abracadabra some of our people display online in the name of promoting and propagating Igbo language and culture in diaspora. Something that has no root. Surface level for media projection and personal self-beating.

I was engaging professors of Global Studies and Africanist scholars on Thursday. It was an intensive discussion, as, on my usual manner, I was crazily bold and inquisitive. I was saying everything boldly.

They said something that broke my heart and I was disappointed:

"Ogbonnaya, I am sorry to say that Americans don't know anything about Igbo language and culture. Don't get me wrong. We know Yoruba, Swahili and Hausa."

I began to talk about Chinụa Achebe's "Things For Apart" as basis of my argument. Achebe's Igbo.

"Chinụa Achebe's Things Fall Apart is an African literature written in English language. We see it as African culture and not Igbo. In academic world, the Igbo can just be quoted on research, after that nothing else. I am sorry, Americans don't know Igbo language and culture, just as I mentioned. Yoruba, Zulu, Swahili and Hausa are the languages of Africa, popular amongst the United States scholars"

Not that I didn't know all this. But I needed to hear from experts. Those in Global Studies carry out extensive research about all this. Government and other agencies could assess their research and reports.

Is it whose fault that Americans don't know anything about the Igbo language and culture? Ndị ọcha or ndị Ìgbo?

Is it some people who understand Africa to be a single country will know there is anything like Igbo, when you don't say what you are?

Will they give your language, a position, when there is no one showing any interest about it?

I love the Yorubas on this and give it to them. I doff my hat for them. No pun intended, it's a fact. The Yorubas are in all the faculty of African Studies across the world, pushing their culture and language. People are studying the Yoruba culture and languages. Yoruba kids will take their language as elective course in the university abroad. I truly love them for doing this. But our people will mock their own for studying the language and culture.

The Igbo man is the most hitted in this issue of colonialism. He completed lost himself and loves mimicking external culture as a superior culture to his inferior one. It started from primary and secondary school in Igbo land where teachers would flog you for speaking Igbo. It's vernacular. Speak only English.

When some heard I am now in the United States, studying Arts and Humanities, they came with their uselesss advice:

"There is no money in Arts and Humanities. You better find your way and look for STEM courses. The world has left Arts behind. I am advising you because I have been here for years before you."

Life starts and ends with money. This mundane thought is why their children would rather choose Swahili, German, French as language requirement over Igbo. They don't want their children to speak Igbo because it's primitive to them. But you will see them cry and complain of American government marginalizing them by granting the Yoruba and Hausa teachers the opportunity to lecture in most universities.

If America add Igbo language, who are the teachers going to teach in America? Goat? Cow? Chicken? Don't you know that these people go with data? Don't you know there were people who pushed for it, created contents and value that made their language to be accepted?

Just few months ago, some tried to bully me for rendering Fizikisi in igbo. So many debates took place. "Nobody will read it. He is just wasting his time. Who still reads Igbo."

This didn't come from outsiders. You know them. Even some so called Igbo scholars. If you don't take yourself serious, why should others take you serious?

From the report I got. A few schools that had crash courses in Igbo in the past had suspended it because of lack of interest of students. Most Igbo children in school here would rather pick other languages but Igbo. When they saw how Yoruba children eat their language, some would rather go for Yoruba. Like I said: I love the Yorubas when it comes to their language and culture. Imagine if that fizikisi was done in the Yoruba language...

We like playing on the gallery.

The question is: who are those ndị Ìgbo claiming to be propagating the Igbo language and culture abroad? Is it just a show off? Media show offs? Surface without root?

What our people in diaspora see as promoting Igbo culture and language is hiring a hall, get some yam, wear isiagụ and red cap and click back of their hands three times, then one at the front. They will dance: "Ike Pentecost." "Ndị ike ndị ike", "O nwere ngabasị". They spray money. Then post on Facebook. People will be jubilating that they are promoting the Igbo culture and language abroad. Ụwa hà ọzọ ha ga-abụ ndị Igbo. Is that all?

, there is no serious symposium. The so called yam festival should have a serious symposium just as Ahịajịọkụ lecture of Owere those days. Their new yam festival abroad has no foreigners that matter as observers. I am talking about those in academic world or a university platform to back that up, then inculcate it into the educational research on the Igbo. It is a way to display the rich culture and get others interested.

It's just your community; perhaps you contributing money and hosting events to entertain your ego or show off. How many outside know about this? How many know about your culture? I am talking about institutions.

These things you feel they don't matter, matter a lot.

Each year, so many foreigners receive grant to travel to Tanzania and other East African countries to live there and study Swahili in a term. It's part of their academic work. Do you know why? Swahili told their stories. Swahili are proud of their identity. They love their culture and appreciate who they are. The Yoruba and Hausa are doing well in this regard. They do not forget their tongues. The only thing we about our culture is isiagụ, isiọdụm, red cap, hand-fan and walking about the camera as if we are doing beauty contest.

But a typical Igbo man sees no need for all this. It will not bring money. Who complain more? You know.

Eating yam in different parts of the world, wearing isiagụ up and down with Victor Ume's long cap doesn't make you a promoter of Igbo culture, when the owners the land you dwell aren't even carried along to observe your culture and notice you exist.

You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have an identity or recognition, ị tọrọ atọ. I am going far. How about some Igbo think tank groups in Igbo land? Their meeting is a place to show off who is elite and who is not— a show of emptiness masked in flowery English.

Chimananda is doing her best, but she's in pop culture and literature. Achebe's works were recognized as African literature.

Yoruba and Swahili keep showing up, pushing their languages and cultures and taking over African studies. We only boast of being the most traveled. It should even be the more you travel, the more you table down your culture and language, pushing it in academic world. Mana onye ọbụla chọrọ ego ọkụ ọkụ. Some chọga grant. When they get the grant to do what will profit the Igbo language and culture, ha anarie with the money. You think they don't know all this.

I am writing this to upset and provoke thought. Nobody know your language because you don't even know it. Wearing isiagụ doesn't mean you are promoting Igbo culture. There is no culture without language. Some of the shows and gatherings are just for ego. Ndị nwe obodo no know anything about their culture. The ones transporting their culture and language are doing it quietly with one mind. Ndị be anyị bụ competition. I cannot do it, you should not do it.

For clarity sake, ala Igbo will bear me witness that I have done my part and my best. This truth must be told.

I was laughing when some asked me why is it that some Americans don't know about our yam and new yam festival and other culture despite our people's show offs and yam festivals. I told them the truth. Our people go just organize themselves in one hall, contribute money, wear isiagụ, decorate the place, dance, show offs, send pictures on the Internet. Noise everywhere —they have taken the culture to obodo oyibo. Mana ndị ọcha nwa amadịghị ìhè há na-eme. Something even the government should be funding and promoting. Something that should even be a curriculum of its own.

Next time you see them blame United States government through Fulbright scholarship for marginalizing the Igbo language, remind them of this post. Professors of Global Studies hid nothing from me and from my personal research and observations, it's true.

Most things our people do here in the name of promoting Igbo language are just for social media surface level, to entertain those back home; show classism, no root. How you lay your mat determine how people will lie on it.

UNESCO saw all this and predicted the extinction of Igbo language and culture; some people felt they were blabbing. The joke is on you.

I paused!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/100051719343579/posts/pfbid0i47VnNgtckN8kEWhfE9TqGfsZkwMpoov2MfvstpiXezB7nQHRQ8KH7QUtRJ2qQrql/?app=fbl

Low key, the Igbo's have been sidelined in most things. The earlier we accept this bitter truth, the better for us.

Amarachi Attamah teaches Igbo at Harvard. You can visit her Facebook page.

May be it's time to question the word majority tribe

Majority tribe with no global recognition

Hausa is the largest tribe in Africa which makes it the largest black tribe in the world

Yoruba simply begged and lied their way with gbajue and fake bishop propaganda to be accommodated so they can claim progress . It’s very important to the average Yoruba to be recognized as a Yoruba . They’re naturally very tribalistic . Everything they do, churches , mosques, politics , is all about pushing their tribe forward.

The way religion controls a Muslim is the same way tribalism controls a Yoruba man .

BitterTruth0001:
Hausa is the largest tribe in Africa which makes it the largest black tribe in the world

Yoruba simply begged and lied their way with gbajue and fake bishop propaganda to be accommodated so they can claim progress . It’s very important to the average Yoruba to be recognized as a Yoruba . They’re naturally very tribalistic . Everything they do, churches , mosques, politics , is all about pushing their tribe forward.

The way religion controls a Muslim is the same way tribalism controls a Yoruba man .

Victim mentality crying..

Una own majority tribe is questionable. How come you guys are not recognized on important things like language

The Igbo language is not taught in most parts of the world because the language is not widely spoken across the globe.

The Igbo language is one of the Nigeria languages that are not recognized in the UN.

It's a bitter truth which some Igbo people don't want to accept

helinues:
May be it's time to question the word majority tribe

Majority tribe with no global recognition

..hellanuis..you have still no achievement of poo'hari & irreparable damage..

..i know you will drag your senselessness into this thread cos it involves the people you hate so much without reason..

..why are you mocking the Igbos..why are you trolling a whole ethnic group..? are you bigger than the Igbos as a group..?

..you are an evil wicked soul whose senseless logic borders on the hate & jealousy you have for the Igbos..

..you will never do well in this life..insha Allah..

..

Unfortunately, I didn't read to the end. Writing articles and publishing them online is totally pointless. If you see a problem and have the capacity to solve it, go ahead and do that. That's why we are all here. We should be a matter that matters, not just occupy space and add no value.

helinues:
May be it's time to question the word majority tribe

Majority tribe with no global recognition

don't bring tribalism into this post....in nigeria we have more than 450 language in Nigeria,helinues can you proudly speak your mothers tongue,this post is a wake up call to my dear Igbo brothers and sisters and not to cause any tribal war

julaion:
don't bring tribalism into this post....in nigeria we have more than 450 language in Nigeria,helinues can you proudly speak your mothers tongue,this post is a wake up call to my dear Igbo brothers and sisters and not to cause any tribal war

Your people already did.

And moreover, what's wrong with my comments?

SmartPolician:
Unfortunately, I didn't read to the end. Writing articles and publishing them online is totally pointless. If you see a problem and have the capacity to solve it, go ahead and do that. That's why we are all here. We should be a matter that matters, not just occupy space and add no value.

the writer is now a student in the US,he is going global spreading and teaching the white people about Igbo culture and languages and the are madly in love with it,their perception has begin to change

I think the Ibos have done well to project themselves and their language in the past 10 years.

Before then, there were reports that the language will go extinct in the next 40 years. Igbo states start promoting the language with seriousness. Ibo artists started singing in Ibo. Africa magic Igbo was introduced and today Igbo is now taught in Harvard and China.

I saw some people (anti-Ibos) accusing Ibo of bigotry when they were doing the promotion of their culture and language. I asked, is it when their culture and language die off that they will become non-bigot?

The same anti-Igbos were rejoicing when the report predicted that the language will die off. Funny people.

I don't blame the Americans. The Igbos themselves don't even promote it. They will rather promote the likes of Yoruba and Hausa.

Igbo language takes global acclaim as Oxford, Harvard, Peking league of world varsities offering it

By Ikenna Emewu -
February 18, 2022

The resurgence of the awareness and importance of the Igbo language has been on for years in diverse forms.

It, however, got further boost recently as the University of Oxford, Britain ed the league of world universities that offer courses in the language.

The development came as another sign that the language threatened with extinction may be kept alive and salvaged, regardless.

Earlier this month, the American Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported the commencement of the teaching of some African languages at the University of Harvard, including Igbo, Yoruba, Swahili, Zulu, etc

The publication also listed Pennsylvania University, USA as one of those that also offer courses in the Igbo language.

As early as 2015, the prestigious Peking University, Beijing China, at its Institute of African Studies had been teaching the Igbo language.

Peking offering Igbo language since about 2015
The spread unarguable is that the language is taught in all continents’ prime universities.

Other boosts to the international status and recognition of the language of about 50 million people of the South East region of Nigeria are the trending gospel praises in the Igbo language in churches in Australia, USA, Switzerland, and many more.

Also, in the new media, YouTube especially has been Christian praise songs rendered in Igbo by the world-famous American gospel singer, Don Moen in a duet with Igbo gospel big name, Frank Edwards.

With the University of Oxford commencing the teaching of the Igbo language to its students, there is a further boost.

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Umeonyirioha who is the first lecturer to teach the Igbo language in the institution announced this on his Facebook wall and expressed gratitude over the development, promising to bring Igbo language and culture to the global limelight.

According to Umeonyirioha, the first Igbo class in the institution will start next week Thursday, 3-4 pm. He said, “It is official that I am the first official Igbo Language lecturer at the number one university in the world, the University of Oxford.

She is part of it…loving the Igbo language

Our induction happened today by Marion Sadoux, Head of Modern Language Programmes, University of Oxford Language Centre. This became possible in the of the James Currey Society. This is the first time the Igbo language will be taught at the university. History has been made. I am so happy and grateful for this opportunity. I promise to make the Igbo language and culture known to the world. The first class starts next week Thursday, 3-4 pm, on 12 Woodstock Road.”

https://africachinapresscentre.org/2022/02/18/igbo-language-takes-global-acclaim-as-oxford-harvard-peking--league-of-world-varsities-offering-it/

University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences.

Igbo

The term "Igbo" often denotes community or the inhabited world, as in the expression, "Igbo bia lere (world or whole community, come see!)!" The Igbo language has dozens of geographical dialects and belongs to the Niger-Congo family / Benue-Congo group of languages. It is also the second most populous indigenous language of southern Nigeria.

The Igbo number between 20 and 25 million people and live all over Nigeria. The original area, known as Igboland, is now situated in seven states. Five of the seven are completely Igbo-speaking (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo). The other two are part Igbo-speaking (Rivers and Delta). There is also a great number of Igbo people in the Diaspora (U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, , and all parts of the world).

The Igbo are highly enterprising, resourceful, and education-focused. They have resorted to travel in order to satisfy these quests and to make room for their ever-growing population.


Course Offerings

IGBO 0100 Elementary Igbo I
IGBO 0200 Elementary Igbo II
IGBO 0300 Intermediate Igbo I
IGBO 0400 Intermediate Igbo II

View course descriptions.

Instructors

Chika Nwadiora

https://plc.sas.upenn.edu/languages/igbo

African Language Program at Harvard

ELIAS is a project in the African Language Program of the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

The Enhanced Language Instruction for African Studies Project

The ELIAS project is an initiative to provide a robust language learning environment system for African languages.

Unit 1 ISi nke mbụ THE IGBOS AND THEIR LANGUAGE

Objective Ihe mmuta (Objectives): By the end of this unit, learners should be able to: • Know and recognize the Igbo alphabet. • Learn the sound of each letter of the alphabet . • Recognize the similarities and differences in sounds between some Igbo letters and En

Introduction Nkọwa (Introduction) The Igbo language is one of the major languages in Nigeria, spoken predominantly by the Igbos in eastern part of the country. There are currently 7 Igbo speaking states namely Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Delta, Rivers. Though each state has its own variation of Igbo, there is a central Igbo spoken and understood by all. Igbo is a Kwa language of the Benue-Congo subfamily of the Volta-Congo and Atlantic-Congo branches of the Niger-Congo language family. This language course will focus on the central Igbo and point out variations when necessary.

https://elias.fas.harvard.edu/languages/igbo/beginning/1/igbos-and-their-language

Tochi3:


..hellanuis..you have still no achievement of poo'hari & irreparable damage..

..i knlw you will drag your senselessness on thks tgread cos it involves the peoöle you hate so much without reason..

..why are you mocking the Igbos..why are you trolling a whole ethnic group..? are you bigger than the Igbos as a group..?

..you are an evil wicked soul whose senseless logic bordees on the hate & jealousy you have for the Igbos..

..you will never do well in this life..insha Allah..

..

Only sadists use smiling emoji when attacking others deliberately

naptu2:


https://plc.sas.upenn.edu/languages/igbo

What the Yoruba's and Hausa's started doing for the past 30years ,we just started doing it recently,that's a wake up call for us ndi igbo

helinues:


Only sadists use smiling emoji when attacking others deliberately

..hellanuis..the sadistic narcissitic TOH BATist..

.... a wicked evil soul..you have failed to state one achievement of the messiah Thief'nubu..

..

Tochi3:


..hellanuis..the sadistic narcissitic TOH BATist..

.... a wicked evil soul..you have failed to state one achievement of his messiah Thief'nubu..

..

Okay ask yourself whats is funny with your epistle to be using smiling emoji. Answer that, I might have been talking nonsense

helinues:


Okay ask yourself whats is funny with your epistle to be using smiling emoji. Answer that, I might have been talking nonsense

..keep quiet. sadist Toh BATist..

..is it not funny that a town sadistic crier who defended, cried, wailed to hell, ing, defending poo'hari & the irreparable da age fraud is unable to state one, just one achievement of the two disasters..?

..hellanuis..state one achievement fröm both..

This one just shows the hatred in the heart of the writer. How can you be this bitter?

tundegan:
This one just shows the hatred in the heart of the writer. How can you be this bitter?

The writer is the first African to translate physics to African language (Igbo) his books is been used in Igbo land from primary to university,over 60books all in Igbo language,so what is bitter there,he is just stating the truth

Shadomaan7:
Low key, the Igbo's have been sidelined in most things. The earlier we accept this bitter truth, the better for us.

Igbo problem is self-inflicted, nobody sidelined you, but many of you hate truth and love self-praise and propagandas. The earlier you know this the better.

helinues:


Victim mentality crying..

Una own majority tribe is questionable. How come you guys are not recognized on important things like language

Recognition is based on promotion. Igbos are more into money than this cultural and language promotion things. That's the point in the article. All data show that igbos are more populous than Yoruba

julaion:
the writer is now a student in the US,he is going global spreading and teaching the white people about Igbo culture and languages and the are madly in love with it,their perception has begin to change

Exactly my point. Igbos are too entrepreneurial and always focus on things that bring money. That's the reason Yoruba promote culture ahead of Igbos

julaion:


What the Yoruba's and Hausa's started doing for the past 30years ,we just started doing it recently,that's a wake up call for us ndi igbo

But our apprentice system started long ago which Harvard called the largest business incubator in the word are yet to be learnt by Yoruba and Hausa. We strengthen were we have advantage then we come to overthrow them where they used to have advantage before

If you look at the most dangerous terrorist and enemy of the country incarcerated presently in the country,is an Ibo man! The people responsible for the first coup leading to the death of prominent Nigeria personalities and Nigeria soldiers,are the Ibo’s, check the stat of most Asia prisons and see who populate it,check twitter,check Facebook,hear from your colleagues if you school in places like uk,us and see the sets and tribe of people tarnishing the image of the country,you will realise why most developed country are wary of them!

sreamsense:

Igbo problem is self-inflicted, nobody sidelined you, but many of you hate truth and love self-praise and propagandas. The earlier you know this the better.

There is nothing like Igbo problem here, we have our priorities and advantages. We will still overtake you in areas you were leading when we make time for it but you will never come close in the fields we have been leading

The response is not to be about Igbo language.

helinues:


Victim mentality crying..

Una own majority tribe is questionable. How come you guys are not recognized on important things like language

Oga calm down, whether recognized or not, are they giving you anything extra for that?
There are thousands and hundreds of languages in Africa and Nigeria respectively, if 3 or four are recognized elsewhere, does it mean others do not exist? Of course no.

Meanwhile the Op is claiming to know more or claiming to be a scholar and he's dishing out half truth. I know a lecturer from Igbo extraction in the US who teaches Igbo language in 2 US universities, in fact he just came down to Nigeria last month and was making serious inquiries from elderly people. Igbo is not recognize and he's being paid to teach it abi?