# Imelda Udoh

Imelda Icheji Lawrence Udoh (born April 24, 1960) is a Professor of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages of the Faculty of Arts, University of Uyo, Nigeria. She serves as the President of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN). She is also a life member and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. She is a DAAD alumnus and has served as Head of Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages from 2010 to 2014, as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 2010 to 2013, and Deputy Director, School of Continuing Education (2015–2016) of the University. She noted in her research that "Nigerian local languages seem to appear dying in particular areas, but still flourishing in others". Udoh advocated for the protection of these indigenous languages while delivering the 81st Inaugural Lecture of the University of Uyo. Udoh is also a Member of Council of the West African Linguistic Society. A festschrift was organized in her honour in 2019.

## Early life and education

Imelda Udoh was born on April 24, 1960 in Adadama in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. She attended St Bernard’s Primary School, Adadama, Convent School, Ogoja and Convent School, Ugep, from where she obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1972. In 1973, she attended the Annunciation Girls’ Juniorate, Ogoja for four years, and earned the West African School Certificate at the Ogidi Girls’ Secondary School, Ogidi in Anambra State. She attended the University of Calabar where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics (1983); a Master's Degree in Linguistics (1986); and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1998). Udoh also earned a Certificate in English Phonetics from the University College, London, that same year. She also has the Certificate in DIES/DAAD International Deans’ Course on Higher Education Management (Osnabrück University, Germany, 2012); Certificate in Language Documentation (University of Texas at Arlington, USA, 2014); and, the Certificate in Global Academy in Teaching Excellence (Wright State University, Ohio, USA, 2015).

## Career

Imelda Udoh was employed as assistant lecturer in the University of Cross River State in 1986. She later transferred to the University of Calabar in 1987. She came back to the University of Uyo in 1989 and rose through the ranks to professor of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages in 2007. She was research visitor to the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, in 1996; research scholar to the University College, London in 1999 and post doctoral visiting scholar to the University of California, Berkeley from 2001 to 2002. She was an instructor at the Institute of Collaborative Language Research (CoLang) in 2016 at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where she presented a syllabus entitled, "Documentation of Orature". She has also been a visiting scholar to the University of Calabar from 2007 to 2008 and 2016 to 2017. She delivered the 81st inaugural lecture of the University of Uyo entitled, "Nigerian Indigenous Languages As Bricks For Building A National Identity".

## Fellowship and membership

Udoh is fellow and president of Linguistic Association of Nigeria from 2021. She had served as secretary of the Association from 2004 to 2008, and vice president of the Association from 2016 to 2021. She is a life member and fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. and member of Council of the West African Linguistic Society (WALS); the Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN), and the Nigerian Language Teachers' Association (ANLAT). She is a DAAD alumnus; and a life member, as well as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL).

## Research contributions

Through a number of projects, including the Nigerian Languages Project (NLP), the Lower Cross Languages Project (LCLP), the Abidjan-Bielefeld-Uyo Introduction to Language Documentation (ABUILD) Project, the Michigan State University-hosted Electronic Metastructure for Endangered Language Data (E-MELD) etc., Udoh has conducted extensive research in descriptive and documentary linguistics on the languages of the Upper and Lower Cross River spoken in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria. Her work on various languages such as Leggbó, Anaañ, Iko, Nkari, Ibibio, and Uda has resulted in many publications. She is particular about the Upper Cross languages of the Cross-River State and the minority languages of Nigeria, particularly Leggbó. One of her edited books profiles the languages of the South-South zone of Nigeria, including the major language spoken in Eleme, Rivers and many others. Her current research interest is on mapping the languages of Nigeria using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, which is aimed at compiling and implementing a location-aware infrastructure that can function proactively in real-time, for enhanced language ecology, and precise visualization of the vitality status of the languages.

## Administrative appointments

Udoh served as Head of Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Uyo from 2010 to 2014, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 2010 to 2013 and Deputy Director, School of Continuing Education from 2015 to 2016 of the same University. She has served as Chairman in several National Universities Commission accreditation exercises, and she has served as a member of the Governing Council of the University of Uyo, from 2015 – 2017, as well as a pioneering member of the Governing Council of the Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from 2015 to 2019.

## Editorship of academic journals

Udoh has peer-reviewed articles for publication in a number of regional, national, and international journals for which she serves on the editorial boards. From 2005 until 2019, she served as the Chief Editor of the USEM Journal of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. In addition, she serves as both a guest editor for the Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (JOLAN) and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Nigerian Languages Project (JNLP).

## Select publications

* Udoh, Imelda Icheji Lawrence (2016). "Globalization and the Preservation of Nigerian Languages", in Ozo-mekuri Ndimele (Ed.) Convergence: English and Nigerian Languages: A Festschrift for Munzali A. Jibril. Nigeria: M & J Grand Orbit Communications. pp. 173–182.
* Udoh, I.I.L., Anyanwu, O. N., and Ndimele, O, (2014). Critical issues in the study of linguistics, languages & literatures in Nigeria : a Festschrift for Conrad Max Benedict Brann. Muenchen: LINCOM Europa.
* Ekpenyong, M. E. and Udoh, I.I.L. (2022). Current Issues in Descriptive Linguistics and Digital Humanities: A Festschrift in Honor of Professor Eno-Abasi Essien Urua. Singapore: Springer.
* Udoh, I. I. L. (2019). The languages of Southern Nigeria : a geopolitical profile Responsibility. Uyo, Nigeria: Fruities' Publications Ltd.
* Udoh, I. I. L. (2003). The languages of the South-South zone of Nigeria : a geo-political profile Responsibility. Lagos : Concept Publications.
* Hyman, L. M. & Udoh, I. I. L. (2006). “Relic noun-class structure in Leggbo” in Paul Newman & Larry M. Hyman (eds.) West African Linguistics : Papers in Honor of Russell G. Schuh. Columbus, Ohio : Published by the Department of Linguistics and the Center for African Studies, Ohio State University.
* Idem, U. & Udoh, I. (2023). Baptism of Indigenous Languages into an Ideology: A Decolonial Critique of Missionary Linguistics in South-Eastern Nigeria. Southernizing Sociolinguistics: Colonialism, Racism, and Patriarchy in Language in the Global South. Antia, B. A. & Makoni, Sinfri (Eds.). NY & London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
* Udoh, I., Ekpenyong, M., Urua, E.-A., Adeniyi, H., Obiamalu, G., Yusuff, A., Anyanwu, O., & Obikudo, E. (2022). A novel method for redefining language ecology and endangerment in Nigeria: – towards a geospatial solution. Journal of the Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa, 3 (03).
* Udoh, I. I. L. (2018). “Compounding in Leggbó” In Eugene Buckley, Thera M. Crane and Jeff Good (eds.) Revealing structure : papers in honor of Larry M. Hyman. Stanford, California:: CSLI Publications.
* Udoh, I. I. L. (2007). “Linguistic globalization and its effects on language documentation in Nigeria” in Etuk Nssien Etuk, Inyang Mbong Udofot, Alice Effiong Udosen (eds.) Education in Nigeria in the 21st century : focus and imperatives : a festschrift in honour of Professor Mbong A. Udofot (MNAE). Uyo, Nigeria: Abaam Publishing Co.