Language means much more than what we use to communicate. It is a heritage, an identity, and a source of pride.

The United Nations has continued to raise the alarm that almost half of the world’s 6,000 languages are in danger of going extinct. The indication of that is that if the necessary action is not taken to preserve them, 3,000 identities and heritages will vanish from the face of the earth.

But popular Nigerian music artiste, Omodogho King Enakpodia, better known as King Enakpodia, is playing his own part by ensuring that his mother tongue, the Urhobo language, spoken in parts of Delta State, does not become history.

First, King Enakpodia proudly identifies himself as an Urhobo native, in dressing and speaking, and above all, he promotes the language in his music. In most cases, the high-life singer passes across the crux of his message in his indigenous language.

The key messages in the musician’s latest album, My Home To The World’, which comprises 11 tracks, were communicated in Urhobo.

In the new album, King Enakpodia, who is also a development advocate, addressed various challenges confronting the country and urged the government to provide employment for youths who, according to him, are being hunted down by security agencies as suspected scammers.

In a post on Instagram, which he captioned: “Pushing Urhobo language,” he raised concerns over a purported plan to remove Urhobo language from the curriculum of studies in the College of Education in Delta, and urged the state government to ensure the language is sustained in the institution of learning.

“The rumour is going round that the Urhobo language will be removed from the curriculum of studies at the College of Education, Warri, as from this academic session. The reason is that the minimum number of 10 to 12 students needed per year for the Urhobo language department to stand is never secured, and this is due to a lack of encouragement by way of sponsorship and employment opportunities at the end of the programme,” he wrote.

“However, according to the information, the itsekiri language will be the only local language to be offered there. This is because the 10 to 12 minimum number of students needed to sustain the department are always made available through sponsorship and scholarship by the likes of the Olu and others,” lamented King Enakpodia.

In another post, he further lamented how his people, who do not understand the lyrics of a song rendered in another Nigerian language, prefer it to the Urhobo language.

“Today, 50% of Urhobos do not understand or speak the Urhobo language. In contrast to the above, more than 80% of Urhobos do not understand the lyrical content of most Yoruba music but prefer it to Urhobo music,” King Enakpodia bewailed.

“How do we reconcile that over 50% of our people don’t speak the Urhobo language and find Urhobo music repulsive, yet over 80% prefer to listen to Yoruba music that they don’t understand?”

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