Curriculum Integration of Igbo Language in Vocational Education Programmes in Federal Government Colleges in South East Nigeria

This study examines the integration of Igbo language in the curriculum of vocational education programmes in Federal Government Colleges in South East Nigeria, assessing the extent to which Igbo language competence is leveraged as a practical vocational communication resource. Federal Government Colleges in the South East serve predominantly Igbo-speaking student populations, yet vocational education programmes in these institutions are delivered exclusively in English, leaving unexplored the communicative potential of Igbo in vocational training contexts such as technical trade, hospitality, agriculture, and business management. The study employs a mixed-methods design combining document analysis of FGC vocational curriculum frameworks, interviews with thirty-eight vocational education teachers, and focus group discussions with one hundred and twenty senior secondary students enrolled in vocational tracks. Findings reveal that Igbo language is categorically absent from vocational curriculum integration, with vocational teachers citing lack of Igbo teaching materials in technical domains and examination system alignment pressures as key barriers. Students report that Igbo is personally relevant to their anticipated vocational environments but not supported by their training. The study argues for a bilingual vocational education approach in which Igbo language competence is explicitly recognised and developed as a professional tool, and proposes a model Igbo vocational language integration framework. Keywords: vocational education, Igbo language, curriculum integration, Federal Government Colleges, South East Nigeria.