Challenges Facing the Teaching of Igbo Language in Secondary Schools in Zamfara State

This study investigates the challenges confronting the teaching of Igbo language in secondary schools in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria. Zamfara State, characterised by its predominantly Hausa-speaking population and ongoing security challenges, represents an extreme case of minority language instruction under adverse conditions. Igbo language classes are offered in two government-aided secondary schools serving the Igbo community in Gusau, making the state a unique and underexplored case in Nigerian minority language education research. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, collecting data from thirty-two Igbo language teachers through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews, supplemented by a review of school inspection reports and lesson plans. Findings identify seven principal challenges: acute shortage of Igbo language textbooks, absence of trained Igbo language specialist teachers, infrastructure deficits, community language attitude barriers, student demotivation, school authority marginalisation of Igbo in timetabling, and the absence of standardised examinations in Igbo for the West African Examinations Council at the state level. The study documents strategies teachers employ to navigate these constraints, including community storytelling events and parental engagement sessions. Recommendations are directed at the Zamfara State Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission, and Igbo community organisations. Keywords: Igbo language teaching, Zamfara State, challenges, secondary education, minority language.