By Obike Ukoh.
The UNESCO General Conference in 1999, declared February 21 of every year as International Mother Language Day. The day was set aside by the world body to check the gradual extinction of many indigenous languages.
Worst hit, are former colonies, as the languages of the colonial powers are used as lingua franca. Nigeria celebrated the 2025 International Mother Language Day.
Will Nigeria celebrate the 2026 International Mother Language Day, as the country has scrapped policy on use of indigenous languages for teaching in schools?
The world body is particularly worried, that globally, about 40 per cent of the population do not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand.
UNESCO, wants the international community as a whole to “promote multilingualism, making the richness and diversity of linguistic heritage an instrument of lasting peace.”
But surprisingly, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, at the recent 2025 Language in Education International Conference, organised by the British Council in Abuja, announced that the Federal Government has scrapped the national policy, mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in schools.
The cancellation was approved at the 69th meeting of the National Council on Education, held in Akure, Ondo State, from November 3 to 7, 2025.
The policy, approved in 2022 as the National Language Policy (NLP), stipulated that children from Early Childhood Education to Primary Six should be taught in their mother tongue or the language of the immediate community.
Speaking at the conference, Alausa said English would now be the language of instruction across all levels of education, from primary through tertiary.
He attributed the decision to data showing poor academic performance in areas where mother-tongue instruction had been emphasised.
“We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted the mother tongue in an oversubscribed manner.
“This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and tertiary education,” he said.
Alausa added, “Using the mother tongue language in Nigeria for the past 15 years has literally destroyed education in certain regions. We have to talk about evidence, not emotions.”
He noted that data from schools across the country indicated students taught primarily in indigenous languages had higher failure rates in national examinations and struggled with basic English comprehension.
“The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” Alausa declared.
Without doubt, the policy reversal is antithetical to the stand of UNESCO on mother tongue as driver in early child education.
As expected, experts and critical stakeholders were unanimous in their opposition to the policy reversal.
The President of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), Prof. Gideon Omachonu, described the reversal as both a pedagogical failure and a moral wrong.
He reminded the government that the 2022 policy was the product of years of research and nationwide consultations involving scholars, teachers, and cultural institutions.
Also, the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) expressed deep concern over the cancellation and called for the immediate reversal.
NAL, in a statement endorsed by its President, Prof. Andrew Haruna, demanded the reversal of the cancellation of the NLP 2022.
He emphasized that the decision to cancel the policy is a setback that has serious and far-reaching implications.
“It undermines decades of advocacy and modest achievements in support of indigenous languages, threatens Nigeria’s linguistic diversity, cultural identity, and national cohesion.”
The NAL noted that “Ultimately, a country that deprives its young ones of education in their mother tongue has denied them access to the deepest and most authentic sources of knowledge.
“The mother tongue is the fountainhead of creative and independent thinking, and to sever learners from it is to impoverish their intellectual and imaginative potential.”
NAL stated inter alia: “The National Language Policy (2022) was established to promote mother-tongue-based multilingual education, ensuring that children receive instruction in the language of their immediate environment during their first six years of schooling.
“It was the culmination of over four decades of incremental decisions by the National Council on Education in favour of the use of the mother tongue in education.
“Importantly, the policy was the product of years of rigorous research, extensive consultation, and expert input from scholars, educators, and communities across the country.
“To dismiss it so glibly, without due regard for expert knowledge and public opinion, is utterly scornful of Nigerians and does not speak well of the government’s respect for evidence-based policymaking.
“Extensive international research, including UNESCO guidelines, affirm that education in the mother tongue enhances literacy, cognitive development, and academic achievement.
“It also strengthens cultural identity, promotes social inclusion, and supports lifelong learning.
“Our own world-renowned Professor Babs Fafunwa’s Six-Year Ife Primary Education Study, provided the empirical foundation for mother-tongue education, a model that has been replicated successfully around the world.’’
Sikiru Ahmed, a professor 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,” he stressed.
Professor Oyesoji Aremu of the Department of Guidance and Counselling, 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.”
In her contribution, 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.”
Prof Gbade Ojo, of Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, described the policy reversal as a somersault that could undermine educational progress.
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, when he was Education Minister.
“Nigeria needs 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 education is a long-term investment, adding that frequent policy reversals create instability and weaken the capacity of schools to implement reforms effectively.
According to him, mother-tongue policy, properly supported, can coexist with English instruction and strengthen learning outcomes for all Nigerian children.
Nigeria should adopt global policies suggested and put in place to promote use of mother tongue for instruction in basic schools.
