Sustaining Afrolongevity Discourse in Imo State and the Igbo Diaspora: A Sociopragmatic Investigation

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/10/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 5 (2026)

Article No.

098

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-B7U52EBA

Received

30 Sep 2026

Views

33

Downloads

13

Abstract

This paper investigates the sustainability of Afrolongevity discourse in the contemporary Igbo society and the global world. In the modern society characterized by rapid technological advancement and digital communication, global discourses on longevity and human enhancement are speedily advancing while the African perspectives- particularly those grounded in indigenous wisdom, ethical philosophy and afrolongevity remain underrepresented. Existing studies on afrolongevity have largely focused on nutrition, medicine, exercise, genetics, philosophy and lifestyle with limited attention to the sustainability of afrolongevity; how it can co-own discourse with the Western equivalent locally and beyond without losing its cultural heritage. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive research design and draws data from participant observation, oral interview with elders and native speakers. 10 selected Igbo traditional proverbs, 10 ritual expressions, 2 communal narratives; 1 short story and 1 folklore were analyzed. The analysis is anchored on Geoffrey Leech’s (1983) Sociopragmatics theory which posits that language and culture are interwoven and Akinsola Akiwowo’s (2022) African Sociological theory which is an epistemic intervention against the overreliance on Eurocentric and Western sociological models to explain African societies. It also emphasizes interconnectedness as central to African social life. Both theories are most suitable for the research since afrolongevity is cultural and negotiating longevity involves communal wellbeing. Findings reveal that Igbo communicative practices such as storytelling, oral poetry, proverbs, folklores, incantations, healing rituals, greetings, communal narratives are embedded with culture and are rich in health and wellness discourses. These communicative practices are the sociopragmatic tools and are used to transmit indigenous knowledge on health, wellness, care giving, moral conduct and communal responsibility. Furthermore, Sociopragmatics allows afrolongevity discourse to adapt to contemporary communication styles without losing its cultural essence or originality through digital storytelling, health podcasts, social media campaigns, and indigenous language blogs on modern digital channels such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. The following recommendations were made: digitalization of indigenous narratives, training in digital literacy and sociopragmatic competence, and establishment of digital archives of traditional health knowledge.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.