i have noticed that a lot of igbos in lagos ,abuja and abroad cant even speak igbo or have not even been to igboland , igbo parents need to do more to make their kids more igbotic, the yorubas seems to be doing a better job in terms of teaching their kids their language and culture.

What have you done about it or what do you intend to do to achieve your set goal. Your idea is good but actions speakes louder than words.
1. What have you done?.
2. What do you want to put differently?.
Answers please.

bashr4:

i have noticed that a lot of igbos in lagos ,abuja and abroad cant even speak igbo or have not even been to igboland , igbo parents need to do more to make their kids more igbotic, the yorubas seems to be doing a better job in terms of teaching their kids their language and culture.

sorry bashr4, please and please each time you bring yoruba name or compare yoruba to us igbos it breaks my heart

you make them look as if they are better than us

why can't u just make the topic with out comparing it to yoruba people

I think the hausas do it best.

I have the opinion that this problem is largely as a result of living too much in diaspora.

Many Igbo parents in the diaspora do not teach their children the language, because of the belief that the language spoils their tongue. However, I have noticed, that when Igbo grandparents live in a house, they will teach their grandchildren the language even in the diaspora. We need to change the way the parents think.

And we cannot give up on the Igbo people in the diaspora who cannot speak their language. Their needs to be Igbo teacher in the diaspora who will teach the children and the young adults the language and their culture.

I have been impressed with a few Igbos  born in the diaspora who were not taught the language when they were young, but decided to take a leap of faith and learn the language and understand Igbo culture. These people should be truly given praise, because they took matter into their own hands and did not wait for others to tell them.

@ OP and others,

What we really need is a cultural revolution which transcends from Igboland to, the diaspora. The thing is that this has to come from a centrally recognized organization like Ohanaeze Ndiigbo. They're perfectly suitable to achieving it but I guess they're busy playing politics with GEJ (Not against it though). I sometimes wish we need to designate Ohanaeze Ndiigbo strictly to socio-cultural affairs while we designate Aka Ikenga to socio-political affairs. A quiet revolution has started though. I hope these guys know what they're doing.

^^^
Aka Ikenga is a pure Igbo elite organisation.

If Igbo parents form the habit of not speaking english to their children, it would reduce the large number of 'efulefu' Igbo kids in the diaspora. They can always learn english in school.

this is the bad side of igbo pragmatism.

Andre Uweh:

^^^
Aka Ikenga is a pure Igbo elite organisation.

I know its something like that but we still need an organization that caters for, and focuses on our political interests. Ohanaeze should focus solely on socio-cultural activities. Maybe, the IPF should be better for that. Again, this attitude of having Ohanaeze endosing GEJ while also having the IPF looking North, isn't necessary. We're at a political age where our so-called leaders should know better. Anyways, they might know something I don't - who knows.

Maybe we need to ask the Chinese how they do it.
I once encountered two Chinese ladies in a business meeting. The one made a presentation in flawless American accent, and when she was done, she returned to her seat. I could overhear her converse in fluent and unbroken Chinese with her friend. I marveled at that. We need to learn from them.
Dual language is an asset.

Onlytruth:

Maybe we need to ask the Chinese how they do it.
I once encountered two Chinese ladies in a business meeting. The one made a presentation in flawless American accent, and when she was done, she returned to her seat. I could overhear her converse in fluent and unbroken Chinese with her friend. I marveled at that. We need to learn from them.
Dual language is an asset.

We need to first make Igboland an economic powerhouse. Many Igbo parents in the diaspora see no need to teach their children Igbo, because they believe it serves no purpose. They would rather have their child, speak a European language than their own indigenous language. It is sad but true. Some Igbo parents believe that Igbo spoiled their tongue.

I do not blame the children, I blame the parents. Lets us make that distinction.

bashr4:

i have noticed that a lot of igbos in lagos ,abuja and abroad cant even speak igbo or have not even been to igboland , igbo parents need to do more to make their kids more igbotic, the yorubas seems to be doing a better job in terms of teaching their kids their language and culture.

That's because most of them live in Lagos, a city alive with Yoruba-speaking. Most times, kids pick up a language, not necessarily from their parents, but from interacting with the community in which they live. I know a couple of Yoruba folks who find it hard to speak Yoruba because of growing up in the North, but can sell you in Hausa.

Try sending your kids to do part of their schooling in Alaigbo during their formative years and see if they'll not floor you in Igbo.