The Federal Government has cancelled the policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in Nigerian schools.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Wednesday at the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja.
Approved in 2022, the National Language Policy required teachers to use learners’ mother tongues or the language of their immediate community from early childhood education to Primary Six. The policy aimed to promote indigenous languages and improve early learning outcomes.
However, Alausa said recent data showed the policy had backfired, contributing to widespread poor performance among students across several regions.
“We have seen mass failure in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in areas that adopted the mother tongue policy excessively,” the minister said. “This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary education.”
He argued that using mother tongues as the main language of instruction had “negatively affected learning outcomes,” with students showing weak English comprehension and higher failure rates.
“Using mother tongue in Nigeria over the past 15 years has destroyed education in certain regions. We must talk about evidence, not emotions,” Alausa added.
The minister said the decision followed a comprehensive review of national examination results and learning data. He urged those opposed to the policy reversal to present verifiable evidence to support their position.
Alausa also commended the British Council for its continued support of Nigeria’s education reforms and inclusive learning policies.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, revealed that the government is introducing a new teacher training framework focused on strengthening literacy and numeracy at the foundational level.
“We’re designing a training package for teachers from pre-primary to Primary Three that focuses on how best to teach literacy and numeracy,” she said.
In her remarks, the Country Director of the British Council in Nigeria, Donna McGowan, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education system.
“We’re committed to working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Education to strengthen teacher development, school leadership, and language proficiency,” she said.