The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has vowed to take legal action against the Lagos State Government over its legislation mandating the exclusive teaching of Yoruba Language in state-owned schools.
The National President of IWA, Mrs. Nneka Chimezie, issued the warning during a news briefing in Umuahia on Thursday, expressing concerns over the policy’s impact in a multi-ethnic state like Lagos.
Chimezie, speaking on behalf of the IWA, which is affiliated with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stated that the legislation was unfair to non-Yoruba residents of Lagos.
“They should make it open – Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba – should be taught,” she insisted.
While commending the Yoruba people for preserving their language, she stressed that the Igbo community must also take steps to protect their linguistic heritage from extinction.
In a bid to revive and promote the Igbo Language, IWA announced plans to hold a Mother Tongue Day celebration on February 21, aligning with the United Nations’ International Mother Language Day.
“We are coming together to talk about our language, rob minds to see how we can stop our language from going into extinction,” Chimezie said.
With IWA pushing for legal action, the controversy over language education in Lagos schools may take a new turn, potentially sparking a broader conversation on multilingual inclusion in Nigeria’s educational system.
NAN
