Bayelsa Moves to Revive Kay Williamson Research Centre in Kaiama
By Jonah Fubara, YENAGOA – The Bayelsa State Government has commenced plans to reactivate the Professor Kay Williamson Centre in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, as a research centre dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Ijaw language and culture.
The State Commissioner for Education, Chief Dr. Gentle E. Emelah, disclosed this after visiting Kaiama for an on-the-spot assessment of the facility in furtherance of the directive of Governor Douye Diri.
Emelah said the state government plans to renovate and upgrade the residence of the late British-Ijaw language scholar, Professor Kay Williamson, and equip the facility to meet modern standards.
According to him, the reactivated centre will serve as a research facility, museum and tourist attraction, while providing a platform for the preservation and promotion of the Ijaw language, history and cultural heritage.
He said the initiative was in line with Governor Diri’s directive to restore the facility and give it renewed relevance as a centre of knowledge and cultural preservation.
Professor Kay Williamson was a British linguist who devoted decades of scholarship to the study of Nigerian languages, particularly the Ijaw language.
The late scholar earned her PhD from Yale University, where her doctoral dissertation focused on Kolokuma Ijaw.
Emelah noted that Williamson developed a deep intellectual and emotional connection with the Ijaw people, voluntarily embraced Ijaw citizenship and adopted Kaiama as her ancestral home.
He recalled that following her death in 2005, she was buried in Kaiama with full traditional Ijaw honours, reflecting the bond she established with the people during her lifetime.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the revitalisation of the centre would preserve Professor Williamson’s legacy while creating opportunities for research, tourism and cultural education in Bayelsa State.
He added that the facility would also contribute to efforts to safeguard the Ijaw language and transmit its cultural heritage to future generations.
