FG Scraps Indigenous Language Policy, Reinstates English as Sole Medium of Instruction in Nigerian Schools

The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially abolished the national policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in schools across the country.

This was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja. Alausa explained that the decision was reached and ratified at the 69th meeting of the National Council on Education, held in Akure, Ondo State, between November 3 and 7.

The revoked policy, first approved in 2022 under the name National Language Policy, had required that pupils from Early Childhood Education to Primary Six be taught using their mother tongue or the language of their immediate community.

However, Alausa disclosed that recent national assessment data had revealed troubling trends, linking the implementation of the mother-tongue policy to declining academic performance across several regions of the country.

He said the government’s decision to scrap the policy was based on empirical evidence that pointed to widespread failures in major examinations among regions that fully adopted the mother-tongue approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWK97-j5WyM

“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,” the minister said. “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.”

“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,” Alausa added, stressing that the government’s goal was to standardise learning outcomes nationwide.

Over the years, several educationists and linguists have advocated for teaching in indigenous languages to aid comprehension, citing examples from countries like China and Russia. However, the Federal Government insists that a return to English as the sole language of instruction will enhance academic consistency, improve learning standards, and strengthen Nigeria’s global competitiveness in education.