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Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to investigate the role of this online tribal proverb contest in the renewal of interest in the language

Paper long abstract:

The Igalas in Nigeria form the dominant tribal group in Kogi State, Nigeria with a population of about three million. The Igalas are ruled by a traditional ruler, the Attah of Igala. The Igala elite and literati of the 1970s to the 2001 demonstrated a preference for the English language and ensured that their children do not speak the vernacular language in the bid to encourage their children to learn the ‘white man’s language, thanks to the Canadian Missionaries who brought education to the area and the effect of the policies of the colonial Masters, notably Lord Fredrick Luggard. In schools in Igala land from the 1970s to the 1990s, any student who spoke the vernacular Igala was shamed by wearing a depreciative placard with word such as, ‘I am the most stupid student of the week.’ This treatment had some impact, Igalas were beginning to lose interest in their mother tongue and to gradually forget many words. However, in recent times, in collaboration with the Attah Igala- the tribal chief, the Ukomu Igala (Igala Voice Group) and the interest of a Catholic Priest now popularly known as Igala Fada-a local social influencer, the creation of Ita Igala (Igala Proverbs) contest on the social media has to a large extent reversed the trend, leading to the creation of Igala cultural festival. This paper therefore seeks to investigate the role of this online tribal proverb contest in the renewal of interest in the language. The study adopts a combination of ethnographic methodologies, depth interview and content analysis to explore the dynamics of the functionality of the Ita Igala contest with the aim to model such a pattern for generating interest in local languages.