BBC WORLD SERVICE IGBO LANGUAGE: A WELCOME GREAT BOOST TO NDIGBO.

ICHEOKU says it is with heart filled with joy and gratitude that ICHEOKU welcomes the British Broadcasting Service decision to acknowledge and accord Igbo language its rightful place amongst the comity of world languages. Igbo language is spoken by over 80 million people worldwide, with its primary ancestral location in Southeastern Nigeria, formerly Biafra. It is about time the language, with such so many speakers, is duly recognized. Thankfully BBC has now answered the call, internationalized it and made it mainstream, with this World Service. 

By this trail blazing service, Igbo language has now rocketed into a language of reckon in the world. It is now the 40th globally most widely spoken language to be added to BBC World Service, from the acknowledged over 6909 languages world languages. This is indeed a great honor and being 40th amongst 6909 world languages definitely makes it an elite in the languages department of the world. The Bible has been translated into 2,508 languages, including Igbo language as well; making this BBC recognition the latest honor done to the speakers of the language for which every Nwa-afor Onye Igbo should be proud and eternally grateful. It is a recognition of great magnitude and an introduction of Igbo language to the world audience. Now, among the many world languages, is Igbo language of Ndigbo, spoken predominantly in Southeastern Nigeria Igbo land, by a proud people who are steeped in Igbo cultural identity. A people that have produced so many world recognizable individuals including novelist China Achebe of Things Fall Apart fame.

The BBC honorarium will also help create curiosity and provoke interest amongst the world community in the Igbo language going forward. It will definitely attract other things for Ndigbo, including someday having Igbo language incorporated in computer languages, just like their Chinese, English, Russian, German, French counterparts; such that Ndigbo can then surf and use the Internet using Igbo language as their preferred language of online activities. The world will also get introduced to the magic of a language where one word could mean several things depending on the inflection of the speaker, enunciation and pronunciation. A word like "EGBE" could mean a kite or gun depending on how it is enunciated. Another word like "AKWA" could mean bed, egg, cloth, cry, funeral rites, minstrel, depending on how the speaker twisted his or her tongue. 

With Ndigbo spread throughout the world,  the BBC World Service for Igbo will help to bridge the gap for children of Ndigbo in Diaspora to stay close to their ancestral language and diligent parents can also use the portal as a tool to teach their children their native language and general keep abreast of developments in Ala-Igbo.

ICHEOKU agrees with Adline Okere that the BBC World Service for Igbo will be the first time Igbo language will be written and broadcast internationally, reaching a global audience running into billion human beings.  Also, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye was right that delivering authentic content in Igbo language to Ndigbo worldwide in their mother tongue will be exciting and refreshing indeed. Now, Igbo language will join Yoruba and Hausa as the three Nigerian main languages, among the over 520 languages spoken in Nigeria, to make the BBC News World Service. ICHEOKU is grateful that BBC was very considerate in its decision to give all the three major cultures in Nigeria an international platform to communicate, interact and keep abreast with happenings and in their lingua franca. Congratulations BBC World Service for introducing Igbo language to the world.