There is a Nigerian saying in pidgin English, I don’t think this is a proverb, but it’s some sort of idiom, “Na who them catch, be thief”
How does this relate to learning Ìgbò? Stay with me.
This saying generally means “It is the person who is caught that gets the label, Thief.”
This means if Tom, Dick & Harry have been stealing from a pot without their mum being aware, the day she comes home earlier than usual and catches Harry at it, Harry is the thief.
Harry can explain all he wants. He can say he is not the only one stealing. Without evidence, Harry is still the thief.
In this same context, the Ìgbò Language has not been “caught”.
There is not a lot of evidence to suggest that Ìgbò is being used. This lack of evidence is why we have been termed as dying. I believe the Ìgbò language is largely undocumented.
Where Igbo Is Missing in Pop Culture
Let’s use music as a stage. Afrobeats is currently being exported.
Think about the top Nigerian Afrobeats artists whose music have successfully scaled from local to international.
I want you to count the top 5 in your head right now. How many of them are Ìgbò or sing in and with Ìgbò?
What Nigerian language is being used a lot?
Let’s move to Hollywood. Think about the scenes and shows that have infused Nigerian elements into them. What percentage of those use the Ìgbò Language or names?
The answer is obvious. Compared to other languages, we have not done a lot in exporting and marketing our language.
Exporting People vs. Exporting Language
We are the best at exporting our people. We have seen the craziest +Igbo human combinations. I’ve seen an Iranian-Igbo Lady, Turkmenistan-Igbo, Egyptian-Igbo, etc.
I have yet to see, but I believe there will be a North Korean-Igbo child somewhere.
You would always notice something with these mixed kids. They have a firm grasp of the language and culture, even better than Nigerian-born Igbos.
This is proof that we are doing something to teach the language, but it is not enough.
Take a look at other languages.
English, Japanese, Korean, Yoruba, etc.
These guys are everywhere. In music, film, art, apps, etc.
In other words, Na Language wey dey visible dey alive. If you are not as visible and rooted, you are dying.
Could it be that the reason we hear that Igbo is dying a lot is because there is not a lot of data to show what we are doing?
Building Digital Real Estate
Why? Why are Ndi Ìgbò not doing enough to push the language?
We have the money. This is a given. Ìgbò and Business/Money go hand in hand.
To create a legacy that lasts and transcends into generations, we need to do more. It involves more than just building magnificent houses in our hometowns, sending our families abroad, and developing our small communities.
Ndi Ìgbò are known for land drama.
We need to focus on thinking about Digital real estate, not just physical.
Getting a 2-acre plot of land in Obosi, Anambra state is great. Telling Ìgbò stories on YouTube is also great.
One stays within your family. It impacts a maximum of 100 lives in a generation. The other can reach at least 10,000 people in 3 months with proper marketing.
This is 2025.
Innovation is important. If we must leave this language for those coming after us, we have to intentionally innovate. We must actively use technology to leave our mark.
Shamelessness is also necessary in 2025.
The internet is littered with content that should never have been posted. The streets are littered with things we should not see.
Yet, we see this and mind our business. We laugh at our own who are trying to learn because they don’t speak as well as expected.
How do we work on improving our language? How do we document it effectively? We must use all the tools, trends, and intelligence available to us.
Why Marketing is important for the Igbo Language
Speaking a language is one thing. Marketing that Language is another.
The world doesn’t just use what’s valuable. It uses what’s visible.
English didn’t win because it was better or richer. It won because it was everywhere.
Packaged in movies, songs, tech, and memes. That’s marketing.
Languages don’t live just because people speak them. They live because they’re sold to the next generation.
Yoruba and Swahili are pushing stronger online because they’re packaged, branded, and distributed.
Marketing a language is marketing a culture.
That means putting it in the formats people care about now; Instagram carousels, TikTok sounds, newsletters, short courses parents can use with their kids.
It means making Ìgbò visible, valuable, and part of daily life online.
Here Comes IgboLearn
IgboLearn is the foundation that will provide a structure to showcase and put Igbo back on the map. For us, we are driven by culture, strengthened by tech, and designed for generations.
IgboLearn is powered by technology, rooted in culture, built to last.
Don’t get me wrong.
We are not saying there is no room to teach the language more. There is.
We need more of our people in the diaspora to hold steady conversations in Igbo. They should pass our language on to their children.
We want those who got married into our culture to learn to speak, write and converse with their in-laws.
We want people like me, who understand the language but can’t speak fluently, to begin to speak with confidence. They should be able to hold conversations.
We are very aware that these need to happen, and we believe they have to happen side by side. We can do more to create and document Igbo on the internet while teaching our people.
Growth is not linear. It can be multi-dimensional.
Two things can be true at the same time.
In this case, IgboLearn is working on both truths. They are two sides of a coin. One side is marketing the language, and the other is teaching our people more about it.
Our aim to be as solid and multidimensional as a Palm Tree Plantation.
We will teach vocabulary, tenses, words, phrases and tonal marks.
IgboLearn will treat the Igbo Language as a global product, distributing and promoting it beyond Nigeria.
We are coming with serious main character energy. Yes, it is that deep. At least to us
Why I’m Committed to this
In my 9+ years of working in marketing, I have sold many products. This is among the top 3 most important ones.
For me, it is very close to home and close to my heart.
I am an Igbo Woman who loves the culture. I love to believe that I am Igbo first before Nigerian. It is one of the absolute best privileges of my life to work on IgboLearn.
I strongly believe in doing impactful work that transcends me.
This quote by Giorgio Armani is one I believe and resonate with. I’ll leave you with it.
“If what I created 50 years ago is still appreciated by an audience that wasn’t even born at the time, this is the ultimate reward”
Join us to document and revive the image of the Igbo language.
Join our wait list here – igbolearn.com
Read this: The Vision Behind IgboLearn