In twelve years’ time, the world will be ushered into the year 2030. That is the year already predicted by social science experts to mark the final extinction of about three hundred languages and dialects around the world. And majority of these languages are presently spoken by minority ethnic nationalities. The Ika language is one of those rated as belonging to minority groups in Nigeria. The language therefore faces the risk of being among those to be phased out shortly. This is because it is presently faced by threat of being “consumed” by other languages, especially the Igbo.
As it stands, no language will go into extinction without the negative influence of its spoken populace. These are people who have fully embraced the adoption of languages spoken by strangers in their communities or those of the communities where they are strangers.
One of the most “effective” ways of sending a language into extinction is by neglecting the naming of children in the language of the people. The Ika language is in the fore-front of those at the risk of extinction through the naming of her people.
It will be recalled that the revered monarch of Agbor Kingdom, Dein Ikenchuku 1 once called on the people of his kingdom to embrace the naming of their children in our local language. This advice notwithstanding, many Ika persons still give names that portray their children as members of ethnic groups different from Ika. There is no better time than now to heed this timely call by the Dein of Agbor kingdom on this matter, as this will help to preserve the language and culture of Ika people.
The guiltiest of this wrong language perception in Ika land are those who are ignorant of the difference between their language and those of other ethnic nationalities, especially in terms of the names normally borne by the people.
There is gain-saying the fact that every Ika name is very significant and meaningful as it is often times associated with time and events, especially events surrounding the birth of the child.
For those who may not know the Ika names to give to their children,
Below are some suggested ones:
| OKURINGBE | OKUSIWEKUE | IKPESOGUN |
| IWEKAOGUN | OKURINTI | ALIMELE |
| IWEKA | NKEONYEASUA | NJOAKPOR |
| IHIEKAONYE | OKENYEHIKE | OKUOKENYE |
| OKUMASUOIBE | USUO | AJUEBON |
| ORIOHU | UGBEKILE | OHUMASUONI |
| MGBEONYEJUGBO | EWERE | IGHOGHOR |
| ARIMOKU | EHIEDU | EHIWUOGUN |
| KALIKU | EROGU | OKUEBO |
| ELUMA | EBOMA | EBONAGU |
| OKENYEKA | DUMBIRI | OBIAZIKWOR |
| IWEBUKE | OSEMEKE | EBONYEM |
| OKOWA | BAYEM | ELURIHUN |
| ERUEMULOR | OROELU | AJULOR |
| KEONYEHI | EHIMA | UKPEREGBU |
| OSHIEGBU | ASIWE | NIMHUA |
| IWERIEBON | AGHAULOR | OKOH |
| OROLUA | IBEGBULEM | IYARI |
| ONYEJUMONU | UWEBOH | UWERU |
| UWAGWU | ALIZOR | EFOLIBE |
| OSIEBUNI | NJOEGBU | AKOKADIKEN |
| DIKENENWOSI | IJENWA | UWEAGHA |
| EHIOBU | EBOH | EBONKA |
| OGBE | NZUWUOGUN | OGHORIULOR |
| NKEMEHULE | ONYEACHOLEM | ONUELU |
| NKIRI | MEKIRI | AMUFA |
| EKPENISI | UWAMARI | OKWUIJEN |
| ISIWEKPENI | OBIANKE | OFUNIM |
| ONYEOGHANI | ALIKA | GIWUEZE |
| ONYEOKUYENI | ELURONMA | OSANEBI |
| UWEZUKUE | EJIME | ATAGU |
| NWASIWEMUA | ONYEISI | OSIENWOGHOR |
| CHUKUSIERI | OKPULOR | KUHODU |
| MOSHERI | OKPOKOR | KIHODU |
| OSOKAOGUN | ODAHIN | ONYEOMAKA |
| OTUMUNYE | KIMEKU | OGBANZU |
| OSUYA | ASIBELUA | ECHENIM |
| OFIEBOR | OGHORINWA | ONYELUCHE |
| OWABOR | OKPOHOUKU | AGHANTI |
| AGBOMA | IKENCHUKU | OTIEGEDE |
| OWAMA | CHUKUEMEKE | ISIEKWELE |
| ISITOR | EZENWOALI | NMELEKWE |
| ISICHEI | ORISEWUEZE | OZUOR |
| EFEREKU | AGHAEZE | NWAEBO |
| ALIEMEKE | NKEKI | EFOMA |
| OGUGUA | ODAHINEKU | NWAWUKU |
| DIKENARIZI | UTALOR | CHUKUYEM |
| EHIKEORI | OGBORI | OSOLOBUERIMAZU (RIMAZU) |
| ORIEKOSE | OGBOI | MARIOR |
| OGWUEGHO | EHIWARIOR | OTABOR |
| AJABOR | MBURICHEN | OKUBE |
| NWAWUEZE | UWAEFIRI | UGBO |
| OKPUZOR | OFIRI | OJEUGBO |
| ONUMESELE | ANAOGBENYENWA | NIMHUA |
| OMEHEN | IJENEGHO | EFEIZOMOR |
| ONWUEYEGBA | BEYEOGHOR | CHUKURI |
| OKOMPU | KEBONKU | ANUKU |
| APULE | ETUNIM | ASOMUYA |
| AHUHULE | ONWUARU | UYANWA |
| AZOGBULE | OLULUEBUNIM | UJENWA |
| IWEGBU | EKOME | OGOCHUKU |
| NWACHOKOR | NWAWUOFE | OGALA |
| EFAGWU | EMEFIELE | ONYEKWERI |
| ONYEMAKONOR | AGIDI | EHIKWE |
| KEONYEHA | UWAEFIRI | EWIWILEM |
| OGHORIULOR | OTOBO | OGWARI |
| EMEDU | OCHOMBIA | EMENINWA |
| ELEDU | ELUJOKOR | OMILO |
| OKUIDEGBE | ELUAGWUNI | EGWABOR |
| ERIGBUEM | EJEMEOGO | EMERI |
| ORIRI | ARUMUKA | NMERI |
| OYIYE | NTIEJUM | IHIENGIONYE |
| NWAWUOFE | IYAMA | NWAPALI |
| NWAYO | UGBALA | IWERINWA |
| HADOME | NWAWUKU | IKENRIEHI |
| EHIABOR | ATUBE | ONYERIWE |
| ARIMOTU | OJOGBO | NMERI |
| NJOETENI | NWABOR | NGERE |
| EGWUANPMKU | NWATOR | GBONEME |
| ULOEGBULE | OKUNBOR | UWE |
| AKPILOLO | EMUEBIE | OKUWE |
| OKOBIA | EBONNE | OBIEDERI |
| UKAH | BIENOSE | ADAONU |
| OHUMAEHUNI | EMU | ETUONU |
| AZONNE | UTEBOR | EKPU |
| OTUMUNYE | OFUME | EKUPU |
| IJERINFE | ONYEGBANKITI | OKPAMBUO |
| IJEOMA | ATOI | ESEKA |
| IKPEHAI | OJOBU | EKEZU |
| NWAGIMEJEN | KIMAGWAOWA | TUDONEBI |
| GHARIOKU | EBUNDON | EGHOAZAOKU |
| EKAWUNWENE | OMAIGHA | EBENUWA |
| EZUEMIKEN | AKAWE | OKUONYE |
| EGULEMU | OKONYE | BAKUYE |
| EFEDIN | EBAIGBE | BACHOR |
| EKPERE | KASIARI | ONYEIBE |
| OMEODON | AFAMIKO | ANOKUME |
| ATULEGUN | OLENKA | EGBAI |
| MEKUYE | ONUMESELE | ELEKEOKURI |
| TITI | KIWUZO | ONYERIMMA |
| RIONOR | NWAUZUNI | ONYERO |
| EHIDUMBI | ONYERO | KELUBIA |
| ONYEUKPE | MEMEH | ONYEAJAM |
| OZEGBE | IDEGBEKU | ORIEME |
| OHUE | IZEANIMKUE | AZOLOKU |
| IWEZU | UWAGU | OMUGO |
| ANUKU | OSADEME | AZIKEN |
| IDABOR | IRABOR | NDUNKA |
| OKPOKOR | ISIBOR | ELUEMELE |
| EFOEYINI | NKEMEHULE | IWEZU |
| IWEBELUA | ONUWA | OBUSE |
| IKOTU | AKUMABOR | OKPUZOR |
| EBORU | EBOSE | ALIBA |
| WEZUKUE | ONYEORU | MEKIRIUWA |
| IRABOR | IDABOR | OKUONYECHIE |
| OBULI | NWASOGO | NONUM |
| SIWEKU | ALIOGO | OGWAEHI |