Nigeria Ends Mother-Tongue Education Policy and Reverts to English in Schools
The Nigerian government has abruptly cancelled the policy introduced three years ago that required early primary education to be taught in local indigenous languages instead of English. Education Minister Tunji Alausa announced that the programme had failed to deliver the expected outcomes and was being terminated immediately. As a result, English will once again be the medium of instruction across all levels of education, from pre-primary to university.
The now-abandoned policy was introduced by then–Education Minister Adamu Adamu, who argued that children learn more effectively in their mother tongue. Minister Alausa cited poor examination performance in regions where mother-tongue instruction was heavily implemented as the key reason for the reversal. He stated that the policy, contrary to expectations, had placed students in these areas at an academic disadvantage.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from experts and families. Some education specialists argue that the policy was doomed to fail due to a shortage of trained teachers, the lack of adequate learning materials, and the fact that major national exams are conducted entirely in English. Others believe the policy was discontinued too early. Social analyst Habu Dauda stated, “Three years is far too short to evaluate such a major shift. More investment and time were needed,” expressing his opposition to the reversal.
The decision has reignited debates about Nigeria’s struggle to balance preserving its rich linguistic heritage with meeting national curriculum requirements and adapting to a global economy where English proficiency remains essential.