The Federal Government has announced the abolition of Nigeria’s National Language Policy, following evidence that its implementation has negatively impacted learning outcomes in several regions of the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja during the opening session of the International Conference on Language in Education, organized by the British Council in collaboration with other development partners.
Dr. Alausa explained that the decision was reached at the last meeting of the National Council on Education (NCE), after a review of data showing that over-implementation of the mother tongue policy in some zones had contributed to poor comprehension and low performance in national examinations.
“We observed a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, especially in regions where the mother tongue was used extensively as the language of instruction,” he said.
“This decision is guided by evidence-based governance. English will now serve as the unified language of instruction across all levels—from pre-primary through tertiary education.”
He emphasized that language plays a critical role in comprehension and academic performance, noting that the new policy aims to strengthen literacy, ensure uniformity, and enhance competitiveness among Nigerian students.
British Council commended
The Minister commended the British Council for fostering dialogue and collaboration in advancing Nigeria’s education system.
Also speaking, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, said the government is currently designing a teacher training package focused on literacy and numeracy for early childhood and lower primary education.
“We are training teachers at the foundation level—from pre-primary to primary three—on effective methods for teaching literacy and numeracy,” she said.
“This will address the learning crisis and improve foundational education outcomes.”
In her remarks, the Country Director of the British Council Nigeria, Donna McGowan, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education sector.
“We remain dedicated to working with the Ministry of Education in strengthening teacher professional development, school leadership, and language proficiency,” she noted.
The two-day conference, themed “Language, Education and Inclusion: Empowering Every Learner,” drew participants from across Africa, including Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, to share experiences and best practices on language use in education.
