By Emmanuel Elebeke
IGBO Wikimedians are to partner with the Anambra State Government on the promotion of Igbo language and culture.
Igbo Wikimedians is a group of Wikimedians committed to working on wiki projects related to Igbo language and culture in order to save the language from extinction.
Speaking at the maiden Igbo Wikimedians User Groups media briefing held in Abuja, a founding member of the group, Blossom Ozurumba said there was sense of urgency to ensure that Igbo language does not go into extinction.
Orurumba said in collaborating with Anambrra state governments and relevant stakeholders in promotion of Igbo language, the group is introducing Wikimedia projects to more Igbo people that are literate in the language at any level to become contributors.
According to her, the object is not only to stop Igbo language from going into extinction, but to maintain the community and encourage more Igbo people that are literate in Igbo language at any level to become more involved as community members.
Also, the group she said is working with local authorities, organizations and individuals to receive grants and other materials to promote free knowledge that will promote Igbo language Wikimedia projects.
“We see WikiMedia Foundation as a worthy partner in supporting what we are passionate about, promoting Igbo language and culture. In organising stuff like this and having a formal structure, IgboWikiMedia users, are tied around the major focus of ensuring Igbo language does not go into extinction.
“It is a crowd sourced kind of platform, anybody that is literate in Igbo language can contribute. We encourage non-speakers to be editors on the platform, or if they speak Hausa or Yoruba language.”
Also speaking, another founding member of the group, Uzoma Ozurumba said the aim of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group is to leverage on the huge number of people that speak the Igbo language to ensure that content production and consumption in the various Igbo language platforms of Wikimedia are given front row focus.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/igbo-wikimedians-anambra-govt-move-to-save-igbo-language/
