Why was a standard written form of Igbo slow to develop?

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Thematic map of Africa showing the distribution of Niger-Congo language branches. Distinct colors represent language groups such as Atlantic, Mande, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo, and Bantu, with Bantu languages covering most of central, eastern, and southern Africa. A numbered key lists prominent languages in each area, and country borders are marked for reference. — Niger-Congo languages Map showing the branches and distribution of the Niger-Congo languages.

The development of a standard written form for Igbo was not slow due to any inherent linguistic deficiency, but rather because early efforts to create a unified literary standard were unsuccessful. In the early 20th century, an attempt was made to establish an artificial form of the language known as Union-Igbo, which was based on four different dialects. This initiative failed to gain widespread acceptance.

Eventually, a successful standard literary form was developed by focusing on the Owerri and Umuahia dialects. Today, there is a growing body of literature in the language, and it is used as a second language by many people living in southeastern Nigeria.1