This paper examined the preservation and use of Idoma language with a view to addressing the existing gap in empirical studies that have not sufficiently explained the sociolinguistic factors driving its endangerment and the concrete pathways for revitalisation among younger speakers in contemporary Idoma communities. Specifically, the paper identified the factors responsible for Idoma language endangerment, assessed its vitality status, and determined the prospects for its revitalisation. The study adopted survey design and was conducted among Idoma speakers in selected communities of Benue State. Purposive sample of ten participants comprising five elders and five younger speakers was drawn from custodians and active learners of the language. Data were generated through oral interviews conducted in English and Idoma, audio-recorded with consent and supplemented with field notes.

Anchored on Fishman’s (1965) Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory, the analysis focused on how institutional support, group status, intergroup relations, and language-use domains shape language vitality. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed low intergenerational transmission linked to negative parental attitudes and English dominance, as well as the exclusion of Idoma from the school curriculum, all of which diminish the functional status and vitality of the language. The study contributes to knowledge by demonstrating that sustainable revitalisation requires coordinated home-based transmission, curriculum inclusion, and collective community responsibility rather than isolated cultural initiatives.