The woman championing an Igbo renaissance in a digital age

Young Blossom Ozurumba spent countless hours nestled within the shelves of the Imo state library, where her father served as director. As a man deeply devoted to literature, he fostered an environment where words and stories were woven into his children’s daily lives, Blossom inclusive.

It was more than just a love for books that grew within her—it was a passion for her heritage, particularly the Igbo language. Today, this childhood immersion has blossomed into an unrelenting mission to preserve and promote the Igbo language and culture in the digital age.

Blossom remembers the turning point as if it happened yesterday. In her early days, she devoured novels in English until she’d read every title in the library’s English section. Left without options, her curiosity drove her to explore the Igbo literature section. And that was when her lifelong connection to the language began. She found herself absorbing stories and poems, learning the nuances of her mother tongue in ways that textbooks alone couldn’t offer.

This literary journey continued through her secondary school years at Federal Government Girls’ College, Owerri, where Blossom devoured every piece of Igbo literature she could find. By the time she graduated, she was reading, speaking, and writing Igbo fluently—a skill that would eventually lead her to an important crossroads.

Years later, in 2015, Blossom’s path crossed with Wikipedia’s mission to democratise knowledge. Two Nigerian Wikipedia advocates, Shola and Isaac, invited her to a local editing workshop in Abuja. This event was part of a broader initiative to get Nigerians involved in curating their narratives on one of the world’s most visited websites.

What caught Blossom’s attention was the glaring absence of Igbo language resources on the platform. The Wikipedia project had made significant progress in supporting Hausa and Yoruba languages, yet Igbo was left behind. Her lifelong love for Igbo literature now found a purpose: if others could champion their languages on a global platform, why not her?

Armed with a sense of mission, Blossom rolled up her sleeves and began her work on Wikipedia. She started by translating English articles on notable Igbo women into Igbo—a project that soon attracted volunteers and editors. From academics to students, people rallied to contribute, sharing the excitement of preserving their heritage.

This snowballed into the formation of the Igbo Wikipedians User Group, with Blossom as the founding curator. Officially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation in 2017, the group set out to expand its efforts beyond Wikipedia articles, aiming to create a robust community of Igbo speakers and writers dedicated to cultural preservation.

However, Blossom’s journey was not just about editing articles. She had to address common misconceptions about the Igbo language among her peers. She often tells people, “As a child, if you cannot speak, read, or write Igbo, it’s not your fault entirely—but if you choose not to learn, you’re letting that gap persist.” By taking on this approach, Blossom doesn’t just encourage people to embrace the language but emphasises the importance of taking ownership of one’s heritage.

As the Igbo Wikipedians User Group grew, so did the responsibilities and opportunities it presented. The Wikimedia Foundation’s support has been invaluable, offering funding, training, and access to international conferences, which has allowed the group to learn, adapt, and refine its approach.

Under Blossom’s stewardship, the organisation set up a rotation system for leadership to ensure continuity and fresh perspectives. With each new curator, the group expanded, incorporating fresh ideas and strengthening its community bonds. Blossom is proud to see others carry on the mission she began, even if she now plays a more observational role.

Blossom Ozurumba’s journey is far more than a language project; it’s an ongoing love story between a woman and her heritage. Her dedication is reshaping Igbo language preservation in ways that haven’t been seen before, creating a bridge between tradition and a rapidly changing world. For Blossom, preserving the language is like holding onto a piece of her soul, and she is determined to help others feel the same.

Years ago, when Wikimedia was deciding where to launch a new campaign, Blossom seized her moment. As the lone Nigerian in the conversation, she pitched her vision with such conviction that soon after, Nigeria was on the map. Her big break came when she managed to enlist legendary actor Pete Edochie as an ambassador. Edochie, renowned for his portrayal of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, brought the language and essence of Igbo into renewed spotlight. Blossom’s initiative was not just a marketing feat; it was a cultural statement, a reawakening of pride for Igbo speakers to see their language represented by an icon.

Blossom’s commitment didn’t stop with famous faces or big campaigns. She took to the streets with an audacious goal: get more Igbo speakers to see Wikipedia not just as a platform, but as *their* platform. Conducting her campaign entirely in Igbo, she approached people, asking if they’d heard of or used Wikipedia. In each conversation, she broke through the preconceived notion that technology belonged to English speakers alone. “Seeing people’s eyes light up when they realized Wikipedia could be in Igbo—it’s something I’ll never forget,” she says.

Perhaps the most intimate piece of Blossom’s journey is her podcast. Each episode is a masterclass in storytelling, as she shares an Igbo proverb, translates it to English, and then aligns it with a similar English saying. Through this format, Blossom connects her listeners to their roots and expands the reach of Igbo wisdom, all while making the language feel current and relevant. “It’s a sacred thing,” she says, “to take a phrase your grandmother would say and make it come alive in today’s world.”

Yet, as she looks around, Blossom sees a world where Igbo struggles to keep pace with modern concepts. Words like “cryptocurrency” and “artificial intelligence” simply do not exist in Igbo—not yet, anyway. This limitation isn’t an end for Blossom but a new beginning. She envisions an all-expense paid revolutionary retreat—a gathering of Igbo scholars, linguists, educators, and cultural enthusiasts, where they’ll invent new Igbo words for modern concepts. “Imagine sitting together and deciding that this is what we’ll call technology, or this is how we’ll talk about digital currency,” Blossom says with infectious excitement. “It’s not just language, it’s legacy.”

The heart of Blossom’s work is creating continuity for Igbo speakers across generations, blending the wisdom of the past with the tools of the future. She knows that language doesn’t stand still; it adapts, morphs, and grows, just as people do. And so, Blossom’s vision is as much for the children learning their first Igbo words today as it is for the elders who still recall the ancient proverbs. 

Recently, Blossom and her team at Igbo Wikimedians launched a plan: awards for the top 100 students in Igbo language studies across West Africa, aiming to inspire excellence and spark a renewed passion for the language among young people. Working closely with the West African Examinations Council, they’re set to use data from recent exam results to identify the brightest students in Igbo, with awards of cash gifts and certificates on the horizon.

Blossom hopes this incentive will transform Igbo language studies from a “mere subject” into a prestigious pursuit, one that will inspire even non-Igbo students to learn and excel in the language.

Beyond students, Blossom envisions a time when Igbo teachers will be recognized too. Though she acknowledges the complexities of identifying the best educators, she’s exploring partnerships with private and public education bodies in Nigeria to set a foundation for an annual recognition of teaching excellence. “To truly revive Igbo, we need champions at every level; from students eager to learn to teachers who are passionate about sharing,” she says.

Blossom’s vision extends beyond awards and recognition. She dreams of convening a gathering of Igbo scholars, linguists, and cultural advocates to address the challenges of translating modern concepts into Igbo as stated earlier.

Her work doesn’t stop at creating new content; it’s about making Igbo accessible and relevant in the world of AI and machine learning. Through collaborations with Wikidata—a structured data repository that feeds into various AI applications—Blossom is ensuring that Igbo data can be part of machine learning models.

With initiatives like “Wikipedia for Business” gaining traction, she envisions a future where companies worldwide might use Igbo data to enhance AI products, bringing Igbo into the digital age in a powerful way.

One of her most memorable milestones was showcasing the stories of Igbo women on Wikipedia’s front page. As an administrator on the Igbo Wikipedia platform, she featured profiles of iconic figures like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Onyeka Onwenu, translating their life stories into Igbo and sharing them on social media. This move brought a wave of gratitude from both the women celebrated and Igbo speakers globally, reinforcing the importance of representation.

Blossom’s dedication to collaboration is evident in her hopes to work with tech giants like Google and Microsoft. She sees them as natural partners to help Igbo language preservation enter new domains and impact an even broader audience. “Imagine if Igbo were as accessible in the digital sphere as any other global language,” she muses. With support from tech leaders, her work could reshape how the world views and values Nigerian indigenous languages.

In the coming years, Blossom hopes to focus on creativity and branding, areas she has championed for a decade. She aspires to cultivate a new generation of creatives who, like her, can turn cultural passion into professional strength.

By merging her expertise in branding with her cultural mission, Blossom envisions a Nigeria where creativity in Igbo—and for Igbo—can be both meaningful and profitable, creating a legacy of pride, innovation, and language preservation for generations to come.

In the end, Blossom Ozurumba isn’t merely preserving a language; she’s crafting an Igbo renaissance, a vibrant resurgence that dares to make the old new again. Through her podcast, her campaigns, and her grand plans for an Igbo dictionary of the future, she is ensuring that the Igbo language has a voice—not just in the present, but in every tomorrow.