Language Planning and the Standardisation of Igbo Orthography: Challenges and Progress Since 2019

This study examines the challenges and progress associated with Igbo orthography standardisation as a language planning challenge in Nigeria since 2019. Orthographic standardisation is a foundational prerequisite for effective Igbo literacy education, publishing, and digital technology development, yet the Igbo language community has been characterised by persistent disagreements over the representation of tones, the status of the dot-below vowels, and the handling of dialectal variation in written Standard Igbo. The study draws on policy document analysis, a structured interview series with twenty-three Igbo language scholars at six Nigerian universities, and a content review of recently published Igbo educational materials and digital platforms. Findings indicate that incremental progress has been made in the adoption of a standard tone-marking convention for educational materials in the South East states, but national-level consensus remains elusive. Major ongoing disputes concern the representation of high-downstepped tone, the orthographic treatment of borrowed terms, and the lack of a central regulatory authority with enforcement capacity. Digital Igbo content production is identified as a new driver of informal orthographic divergence, with online content creators adopting self-determined spelling conventions. The study recommends the establishment of a statutory Igbo Language Board with representation from all Igbo-speaking states. Keywords: Igbo orthography, language planning, standardisation, writing system, literacy.