Forgetting Igbo

from Crossing Continents Hosted by BBC Radio 4

Nkem Ifejika cant speak the language of his forefathers. Nkem is British of Nigerian descent and comes from one of Nigeria's biggest ethnic groups the Igbo. He's one of the millions of Nigerians, who live in the diaspora - almost two hundred thousand of them living here in Britain. Nkem wants to know why he was never taught Igbo as a child and why the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, has warned that Igbo faces extinction in the next fifty years. In this week's Crossing Continents, Nkem travels to the Igbo heartland in the southeast of Nigeria to explore the demise of a once proud language. He discovers that recent history has had profound effects on Igbo culture and identity. He discovers too that some Igbos are seeking to reassert their language and culture. Part of this is a resurgence of Igbo identity under a new 'Biafran' movement. Is this likely to find traction or will it ignite painful divisions from the past and lead to renewed tensions across Nigeria. From Nkem's own London-based family - where his wife is teaching both him and their son to speak Igbo - to the ancestral villages of Anambra State, 'Forgetting Igbo' reveals shifting perspectives on Nigeria's colonial past, emerging new ambitions for its future - and deep fault lines at the heart of its society. Produced by Michael Gallagher.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

Forgetting Igbo

0:00 28:26

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Share this episode

Similar podcasts

Women Igniting Change® Robbin Jorgensen In a post pandemic world, employees are demanding that their leaders do more than just lead the business. They are looking for their companies to provide a culture of purpose and possibility, navigate changing societal expectations and build a sense of community and belonging.Leaders need to elevate and engage their people by connecting personal values with those of the entire organization, and at the same time inspire collaboration, innovation and results.Robbin Jorgensen, Founder and CEO of Women Igniting Change®, is your host. A former corporate executive who has worked with women leaders in 31 countries on 6 continents, she believes that unleashing the contribution of women is one of the key drivers to moving business and humanity forward.Join Robbin every Monday as she dives into the intersection of business results, women’s leadership and social responsibility. She’ll share interviews with decision makers, provide tangible strategies, highlight women change makers and more a Abdullah Hakim Quick Muslim Central Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, PhD, is the Head of our Islamic History and Homiletics Department. His students dub him as “old school Dr. Quick” and find his Boston accent a rather smile-jerking classroom staple.He has accomplished a lifetime worth of achievements spanning many continents while enlightening the lives of millions. He was born in the United States of America and accepted Islam in Canada in 1970. He pursued his study of Islam at the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia where he graduated and received an Ijaza from the College of Da’wah and Islamic Sciences in 1979, one of first two students to do so from the West. He later completed a Masters Degree and a Doctorate in African History at the University of Toronto in Canada.He has served as Imam, Daa’iyyah, teacher and counsellor in the USA, Canada, South Africa and the West Indies. Presently he is a Senior Lecturer with the Islamic Institute of Toronto (I.I.T.).

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Crossing Continents?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

When was this Crossing Continents episode published?

This episode was published on April 28, 2016.

Can I download this Crossing Continents episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.