The Effect of Urbanisation on Igbo Language Vitality in Enugu City: Perspectives from First and Second Generation Speakers

This study examines the effect of urbanisation on Igbo language vitality, focusing on intergenerational differences in language use and proficiency among first-generation and second-generation Igbo speakers in Enugu City, South East Nigeria. Urbanisation has been widely documented as a driver of language shift in African contexts, accelerating the displacement of indigenous languages in favour of English and urban lingua francas. Enugu City's rapid urban growth over the past decade makes it a relevant site for studying these dynamics within an ostensibly Igbo-majority urban environment. The research adopts a comparative survey approach, collecting language use data from one hundred and twenty first-generation speakers born in rural Igbo communities and ninety-six second-generation urban-born respondents using a validated language proficiency and use inventory. Findings reveal a measurable decline in Igbo speaking frequency, vocabulary range, and tonal accuracy across the second generation, with urban-born participants reporting English as their primary home language in seventy-one percent of cases. First-generation participants demonstrate stronger Igbo literacy and oral proficiency but show reduced domain usage outside family settings. The study calls for targeted language revitalisation policies addressing the urban second-generation cohort, including community-based Igbo immersion programmes. Keywords: urbanisation, Igbo language vitality, intergenerational shift, Enugu City, language revitalisation.