The Abia State Government has appealed to the people of Abia State and other South-East states to do everything possible to save the Igbo language, culture and history from dying.
The state government made the appeal on Thursday in Umuahia during the Canvas and Culture Festival organised by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
The Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Matthew Ekwuribe, while addressing secondary school students and other participants at the workshop and exhibition, said the Abia State Government was doing everything possible to ensure that the Igbo language, culture and history do not die but are preserved and strengthened.
He observed that some young people of Igbo extraction are unable to express themselves in the Igbo language or demonstrate knowledge of the culture, but said the state government had taken steps to prevent such a trend from taking root in Abia.
The commissioner said bold steps had been taken by Governor Alex Otti’s administration to rehabilitate the Civil War heritage sites, including the Ojukwu Bunker, the National War Museum and other cultural and historical sites in the state.
Ekwuribe also said the Arts and Culture Festival was designed to discover future artistic talents in the state, adding that it would help tackle unemployment among young people and boost the state’s economy.
Speaking at the event, Abia State Governor Alex Otti charged secondary school students and other young people in the state to embrace opportunities in the arts industry.
Otti, who was represented by his deputy, Ikechukwu Emetu, promised to sustain his administration’s support for the arts, culture and creative economy sectors in the state.
Don’t let our language, culture die – Abia Govt urges Igbo nation
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