Community Language Planning for Igbo in the Niger Delta Region: Lessons from Oil-Producing Communities in Imo State

This study examines community language planning initiatives for the Igbo language in oil-producing communities in Imo State, South South-adjacent South East Nigeria, where the intersection of natural resource exploitation, rapid demographic change, and cultural disruption poses particular challenges for Igbo language vitality. Oil-producing communities have experienced accelerated language shift as economic migration, inter-ethnic partnerships, and corporate presence reshape the sociolinguistic landscape. The research adopts a participatory community language planning framework, engaging twelve communities in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta local government areas through community assemblies, language planning workshops, and stakeholder mapping sessions over a nine-month project period. Baseline sociolinguistic surveys documenting language use patterns, attitudes, and perceived threats are integrated with participatory planning activities. Findings reveal that while community members express strong positive attitudes towards Igbo, practical Igbo language use in public domains has contracted significantly over the past decade. Youth unemployment, migration to Port Harcourt, and inter-ethnic marriage with non-Igbo oil sector workers are identified as the primary drivers of language shift. Community-generated language planning priorities include school Igbo revitalisation, community radio programming in Igbo, and a youth cultural ambassador scheme. The study proposes a replicable community language planning model for similar resource-extraction contexts. Keywords: community language planning, Igbo, Niger Delta, oil communities, language vitality.