Educationists and language advocates have faulted the Federal Government’s decision to reverse the 2022 National Language Policy, describing it as a setback to education development, national identity, and cultural preservation.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, had on Wednesday announced that English would now serve as the sole language of instruction in Nigerian schools, from the primary to tertiary level.
Alausa announced the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja, arguing that teaching children in their mother tongues had contributed to poor performance in public examinations.
However, several academics and education experts who spoke with The PUNCH described the reversal as “unwise,” “anti-developmental,” and “a policy somersault” that undermines research-backed gains of learning in one’s first language.
Professor Sikiru Ahmed, a scholar of Physical and Computational Chemistry at Kwara State University, Malete, described the decision as “one of the examples of policy somersaults that have plagued Nigeria’s education system.”
He said, “The national language policy was about enhancing learning by teaching children in a language they understand from a young age. Various research studies have shown that teaching in the local language, alongside English, removes learning barriers.
“There is a popular saying that ‘the gateway to the human heart is his mother tongue.’ If implemented, the policy was capable of fostering national unity and cohesion among different ethnic groups.
“Many countries around the world use their local languages to educate their children; the Chinese use Mandarin, Pakistanis use Urdu, Indians use Hindi, and the Basotho use Sesotho. Nigeria should not be an exception.”
Professor Oyesoji Aremu of the Department of Guidance and Counselling at the University of Ibadan said the decision came as a surprise, especially at a time when several countries were adopting mother-tongue instruction in basic education.
He said, “The policy on the use of mother tongue as a mode of instruction in basic education was an outcome of the famous Ife Six-Year Primary Project and later became a Federal Government policy. Ghana just adopted a similar policy a few days ago.
“Although the change was justified by claims that mother-tongue instruction promotes poor academic performance, such a conclusion should have been subjected to empirical scrutiny. Research has shown that pupils taught in their local language perform better, comprehend faster, and can learn other languages easily.
“The Ministry should have also examined the role of English as a language of instruction, mainly in elite schools, before concluding. I believe the government should have engaged educationists and university researchers before making such a sweeping reversal.”
A Lead Resource for Safe Schools Lagos, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi, said that while the previous policy was well-intentioned, its implementation was fraught with challenges due to Nigeria’s linguistic diversity.
She said, “Research consistently shows that children learn foundational concepts and develop stronger cognitive skills when taught in their first language. However, the policy was difficult to implement because Nigeria has over 600 dialects. There were no trained teachers or adequate instructional materials, and there were complications in choosing which language to adopt in multilingual communities.
“The policy may have been abandoned prematurely. Such a reform requires heavy investment in teacher training, the development of textbooks and learning materials, and sufficient time before results can be fairly evaluated.
“While using the mother tongue is vital for preserving indigenous languages and cultural identity, which are at risk of extinction, I think the reversal is pragmatic given the current realities.”
But a youth leader from Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Callistus Egwu, criticised the reversal as “a betrayal of Nigeria’s cultural identity” and “an attempt to please Western interests at the expense of national heritage.”
Egwu told The PUNCH in Calabar that the decision would accelerate the extinction of indigenous languages, many of which are already endangered.
He said, “Our mother tongues define who we are and reflect our traditions. It is disappointing that someone would wake up and cancel such an important policy to satisfy foreign interests. The claim that instruction in local languages causes poor performance is baseless. The real problem lies in poor teacher welfare and inadequate learning facilities.”
He added that Nigeria should emulate countries like China and India, which continue to promote science and technology education in their native languages.
A mother of two, Mrs Mmakim Ette, also described the decision as “a sad development” that could further alienate children from their native tongues.
“I am still learning to speak clear Efik, but my children can barely understand it. This policy reversal will only make matters worse,” she lamented.
An activist, Mr Akpan David, said he deliberately speaks Ibibio with his children and commended radio stations such as FAD FM, Atlantic FM, and Tangsio FM for promoting local dialects.
He urged the government to emulate East African countries that have elevated Swahili to national language status.
An educationist, Mr Anthony Otaigbe, also described the reversal as “a step backwards” for Nigeria’s education system.
Otaigbe said, “The new directive effectively erases one of the most progressive provisions in Nigeria’s education framework. The justification offered by the minister is deeply ironic, as global research and local data consistently show that children taught in their first language achieve better outcomes.
“The directive not only contradicts the National Policy on Education, which stipulates that the language of the immediate environment shall be the medium of instruction for the first three years of primary education, but also violates the 2022 National Language Policy approved in line with UNESCO’s Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education model.”
He added, “Such a unilateral pronouncement cannot override the NPE, which remains the legal foundation of Nigeria’s education system. The decision is bureaucratic and detached from the realities of classrooms, teachers, and learners.”
Otaigbe further argued that abandoning mother-tongue instruction contradicts President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises innovation and national identity.
“You cannot build an innovative or self-confident generation on a foundation that erases its linguistic and cultural roots,” he said. “Innovation thrives where identity is secure, and human capital grows when learning begins in comprehension, not confusion.”
He warned that reverting to English-only instruction would deepen educational inequality between rural and urban pupils, erode children’s confidence, and hasten the extinction of Nigeria’s indigenous languages.
“No country ever developed by erasing its linguistic foundation. Japan, France, Korea, and China all built strong economies by first educating their citizens in their own languages,” Otaigbe added.
He urged the government to modernise and expand mother-tongue education rather than abolish it by introducing bilingual programmes, retraining teachers, and leveraging technology for language learning.
On his part, Prof Gbade Ojo, of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, described the policy reversal as a “somersault” that could undermine educational progress in the country.
He said, “The policy somersault is not good for our educational advancement. The use of mother tongue from Primary One to Six was experimented with by Prof Babs Fafunwa [of blessed memory] when he was Education Minister.
“Nigeria needs a strategic plan that is enduring and consistent. This back-and-forth approach is haphazard and sends confusing signals to teachers, parents, and students alike. The best outcome for the country is to allow mother tongue instruction to remain alongside English as part of a dual-language approach.”
Ojo emphasised that a stable, well-planned language policy is critical not just for literacy, but also for fostering national cohesion and preserving Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage.
He added, “Education is a long-term investment. Frequent policy reversals create instability and weaken the capacity of schools to implement reforms effectively. A mother-tongue policy, properly supported, can coexist with English instruction and strengthen learning outcomes for all Nigerian children.”
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