The 2022 National Language Policy was fingered as the culprit for abysmal performance in public examinations; it was said to have “destroyed” the education system, as pupils and students often advanced to higher classes without learning essential skills. The Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa also posited that based on data and combined with real-life situations in the geopolitical zones, there is “overuse of mother tongue from Primary One to Primary Six, and even from JSS One to JSS Three”. Thus, the cancellation of the policy because of the nation’s diversity requires a unified approach to language instruction, leading to the announcement of English Language as the medium of instruction from the basic to tertiary level. However, not a few stakeholders in the education space have spoken on the long-term implications. It remains to be seen if the cancellation of the policy would improve pupils’ performance, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.
Policy reversal at infancy
The 2022 National Language Policy, still in its infancy, did not really take off effectively as expected, observers and experts argued. Designed to promote the use of indigenous languages and preserve cultural heritage, recognising the country’s over 600 languages, 29 of which are already extinct, the policy never had a smooth sailing as it were.
Many stakeholders posited that the policy was challenged from inception: developing teaching materials, training of teaching personnel and addressing linguistic diversity in a multi-ethnic setting like Nigeria.
Perhaps because of those challenges and what he termed “total destruction of Nigeria’s system, where children graduate up to JSS Three or even SS Three without learning anything”, the Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa reversed the mother tongue policy.
The policy reversal has since raised concerns among experts, stakeholders and various school of thoughts who noted that in the long run, it would create a cultural and identity crisis, affect cognitive development, lead to a disadvantage for non-English speaking pupils from rural areas, nullify “indigenising development”, among others. Conversely, a school of thought wants the new policy to assess after five years to see if students’ performance levels in examinations surge.
Long-term implications
National President of Early Childhood Association of Nigeria (ECAN), Prof. Babajide Abidogun, said the decision to make English the sole language of instruction from primary to tertiary levels in Nigeria could have several long-term implications such as cultural erosion and identity crisis.
The don in a chat with The Nation noted that by removing the use of indigenous languages from the classroom, children may lose a deep connection with their cultural roots, which could lead to a weakening of cultural pride among future generations.
Abidogun said research in child development supports the idea that children learn best when instruction is in a language they fully understand, stressing that teaching in a second language may create cognitive overload, hindering comprehension and impeding the development of critical thinking skills. According to him, this may lead to lower academic performance, particularly in subjects that require deep comprehension and conceptual understanding, such as mathematics and science.
He said: “In the long run, children from rural or indigenous communities who are not proficient in English may face greater educational challenges. This policy could widen the educational gap, leaving behind students who struggle with English language acquisition, leading to inequality in educational opportunities and outcomes.
“The policy could accelerate the decline of indigenous languages, as children may grow up speaking only English and losing proficiency in their mother tongues. This would have broader social and cultural implications, as many of Nigeria’s indigenous languages are already at risk of extinction due to the dominance of global languages like English.”
While the Vice Chancellor, African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, also deplored the severe long-term implications of the policy, he quoted the late educationist, Dr. Tai Solarin, as saying in 1965 that : “The Nigerian child will never imbibe to the fullest every strand of education” in a foreign language because education transcends speaking English.
The Fulbright scholar and multidisciplinary researcher noted that the pronouncement puts the nation against the global trend of indigenising development, as evident in the progress being made by China, Japan, South Korea and other countries, not borrowing it. He added that the policy statement will only make the nation see with one eye (English only) not with two (English with our Nigerian languages), stressing the need for the two eyes not only to globalise but also “glocalise”.
Does mother tongue contribute to poor examination performance?
National President, Association of Nursery and Primary Education Instructors in Nigeria (ANPEIN), Dr Simeon Fowowe, said the assertion that mother tongue instruction contributes to poor performance in exams is contentious and lacks sufficient empirical evidence. According to him, many studies indicate that learners perform better when instruction is delivered in their first language, particularly in complex subject areas.
For Abidogun, while it is true that some children perform poorly in public examinations, it cannot be proved that the use of mother tongue as a language of instruction is a direct cause.
“The quality of teaching and the curriculum being followed play a much larger role in student success than the language of instruction. Many countries with high levels of academic achievement still use mother tongue as a medium of instruction, but they emphasise a strong curriculum and teacher training.
“When children learn in a language they are most familiar with, they experience less stress and are more likely to express themselves clearly and confidently. This emotional comfort is often linked to better performance.
“Many children in Nigeria face challenges in learning English, and this may be a more significant barrier to academic success than the use of their native languages. Poor performance in English-language exams may stem from insufficient English literacy skills rather than the use of indigenous languages,” he said.
Lagos State Coordinator of Child Protection Network (CPN) Mrs. Ronke Oyelakin said: “I want the Minister of Education to prioritise other factors to be addressed that have caused poor performance in education in the country. Some include inadequate administration and facilities, inadequate examination system, large class size, under qualified teachers, inadequate language teaching methods, and lack of cooperation on the part of parents.
“Though, there may be other factors contributing to the low academic performances of students, I want us to test this new policy and directives and see the outcome for improvement in the next five to 10 years.”
Policy reversal and Nigeria in the 21st century
The ECAN President stated that in the 21st century, global education trends emphasise multilingualism and the importance of maintaining linguistic diversity.
He said by focusing exclusively on English as the medium of instruction, Nigeria risks falling behind in promoting bilingual or multilingual competencies, adding that the global landscape increasingly recognises the cognitive and social benefits of speaking multiple languages, including improved problem-solving skills, creativity, and cultural empathy.
Fowowe said: “Moreover, this policy may exacerbate the social inequality between urban and rural students, with rural students, in particular, being less proficient in English and therefore at a disadvantage in a purely English-driven education system. This could contribute to widening the education gap, especially in rural communities where indigenous languages are more prominent.
In an interview with The Nation, Educationist and Director, Capacity Development Initiative, Ketu, Lagos, Mr. Onanuga Olubayo, noted that achieving a unitary language model of teaching would be rather difficult in such a complex, multi-lingual, and structurally imbalanced country as Nigeria.
He explained that the idea of teaching in indigenous languages has greatly enhanced the performance of learners even in public examinations.
Olubayo cited the example of China as having one of the most complex university entrance examinations in the global space with the examination written in their native Mandarin language and the success rate impressive over the years.
Indigenous languages as endangered species
Mahfouz said: “Research suggests that our indigenous languages are being threatened already by the predominance of English. About 340 Nigerian languages are endangered while more than 150 are critically endangered. Languages like Akum (spoken in Taraba), Bakpinka (spoken in Cross River), Defaka (spoken in Rivers) Dulbu (spoken in Bauchi State) and Fyem (spoken in Bauchi and Plateau states), among others, belong to the critically endangered languages category. Even our majority languages (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) are mildly threatened, at varying degrees though, as the younger ones can’t speak them fluently again, or without code-mixing, due to the pervasive influence of English and Pidgin.”
Abidogun also concurs, saying that many of Nigeria’s indigenous languages are at risk of becoming endangered, adding that the policy could accelerate that process.
“According to UNESCO, over 50% of the world’s languages are expected to become extinct within this century, and many Nigerian languages are already critically endangered.
The decline in the use of mother tongues in formal education settings will likely discourage younger generations from learning and using these languages, contributing to language shift and eventual language death. Once languages disappear, so do the unique worldviews, stories, cultural practices, and wisdom embedded in them. This is a loss not just for the linguistic community, but for humanity as a whole,” he said.
Likely solutions in place of policy reversal
Abidogun said rather than completely reversing the National Language Policy, the government should have adopted a bilingual or multilingual education model.
He said a bilingual model, where children are taught in both their mother tongue and in English, would foster cognitive development, academic success and cultural preservation.
The don also called for improved teacher training and resources rather than imposing English as the sole medium of instruction
He urged the government to focus on improving teacher training, particularly in rural areas, to ensure teachers are equipped to teach in both indigenous languages and English, stressing that this would ensure that students are not disadvantaged by a lack of English proficiency.
“The government should invest in programmes aimed at preserving indigenous languages. This could include supporting language research, developing textbooks in indigenous languages, and promoting media and cultural programmes that encourage the use of these languages in everyday life,” he added.
He added that while the aim of improving academic performance is commendable, making English the sole language of instruction may have far-reaching negative consequences for the cultural and cognitive development of Nigerian children. He sought a balanced approach that embraces multilingualism, while strengthening both mother tongue education and English language acquisition, which would better prepare Nigeria’s future generations for success in the 21st century.
For Mahfouz, the government should just maintain the status quo ante or the situation before the announcement.
“To be fair, there are many Nigerians who think English is the alpha and omega of education, not realising it is just a medium. However, as the Yoruba proverbially say, what belongs to one is one’s; the rag belongs to the refuse dump and ten good eyes (or foreign languages) are not like one’s own,” he added.
Fowowe said rather than dismantling the National Language Policy, the government could have supported its goals through a phased, multi-pronged approach to language revitalisation.
He said government initiatives should focus on promoting multilingual education, incentivising language development, and ensuring that both English and indigenous languages co-exist in schools.
“A successful implementation would involve collaboration with linguists, educators, and community leaders to preserve and promote Nigeria’s indigenous languages,” he added.
Fowowe urged the government to think about the decision, stressing that one part of a country not doing well because they use mother tongue to teach in their schools should not be generalised and rubbish the Ife six years project and other semblances done by Prof. Babs Fafunwa and other scholars.
NAL seeks immediate reinstatement of indigenous language policy
The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) called on the Federal Government to immediately reinstate the National Language Policy (2022), retain Nigerian languages in the curriculum, invest in teacher training and instructional materials, and work closely with linguistic experts for phased implementation.
In a statement by NAL President Prof. Andrew Haruna, the Academy recalled the landmark Ife Six-Year Primary Education Study led by the late Prof. Babs Fafunwa, which has since been replicated in countries such as Bolivia and informed recent multilingual initiatives in Ghana. It said it was “ironic” that while other African nations were adopting Nigeria’s model, the country was abandoning a policy that had not even been implemented.
It warned that eliminating Nigerian languages from the core curriculum would weaken children’s intellectual foundation, contradict global best practices and jeopardise long-term national development.
According to the academy, a recourse to English-only instruction was tantamount to restoring “colonial linguistic domination and cultural alienation”.
