‘The government’s reversal is not a rejection of Indigenous identity..but a recognition of Nigerian complexity’Originally published on Global VoicesSome Nigerian school children. Photo by Doug Linstedt. Free to use via Unsplash. Language advocates are left stunned as the Federal Government of Nigeria suddenly reverses its 2022 National Language Policy that mandates Indigenous languages in education, while re-introducing English as the sole language of instruction at all levels of education.
The National Language Policy (NLP) was introduced in 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Education under the leadership of Mallam Adamu Adamu. The policy mandates the use of Indigenous languages as the medium of instruction for students for the first six years of schooling. Other key aspects of the policy include encouraging the development of Nigerian languages curricula, materials, and resources, as well as supporting teacher training capacity-building programmes for mother-tongue instruction.
The language policy reversal Nigerian Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision to reverse the language policy at the 2025 Language in Education Conference held in Abuja on November 12, 2025. The decision was earlier adopted at the 69th National Council of Education, held in Akure, Ondo State, from November 3 to 7, 2025. The minister cited several factors, including high failure rates and students’ struggles with English comprehension, as the basis for reversing the policy.
He said: We have seen a mass failure rate in West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an oversubscribed manner. This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from pre-primary, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary to the tertiary education level. He continued: 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. Criticism of the decision However, many linguists, educators, and cultural advocates have criticised the decision.
The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has expressed dissatisfaction with the cancellation of NLP and urges the federal government to reinstate mother-tongue-based instruction. The president of the organization, Professor Andrew Haruna, in his statement, said: A country that deprives its young ones of education in their mother tongue has denied them access to the deepest and most authentic sources of knowledge.
To sever learners from their mother tongue is to impoverish their intellectual and imaginative potential. He added: Protecting our languages and promoting mother-tongue education is a national responsibility and a moral obligation to current and future generations.
The Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) has initiated a petition noting that the policy reversal would “jeopardize educational inclusion and equity, especially for children in rural and Indigenous communities.” The association urged the Federal Ministry of Education to “retain and strengthen the National Language Policy (2022) rather than reverse it.” In the petition signed by 999 verified signees, the association urged the Federal Ministry of Education to take the following actions: Retain and strengthen the National Language Policy (2022) rather than reverse it. Fully implement Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) across the federation. Provide sustained funding and capacity building for teachers, linguists, and curriculum developers. Engage stakeholders and experts in transparent dialogue rather than unilateral reversal.
Uphold Nigeria’s educational vision for inclusive and quality learning for all. On November 28, 2025, a group of Nigerian linguists, language associations, cultural stakeholders, and community representatives gathered at the Nigerian Languages Summit.
The agenda of the summit was to deliberate on the state of Nigeria's Indigenous languages and find a way to ensure the National Language Policy 2022 is reinstated and implemented. The summit participants observed that: The National Language Policy 2022 was the product of decades of research, consultations, and evidence from successful bilingual and multilingual education programs within Nigeria and across the world.
The abrupt cancellation of the NLP 2022 contradicts established empirical findings and undermines Nigeria’s educational goals, national cohesion, and cultural survival.” The Summit participants demanded that the government reverse the cancellation of the National Language Policy (NLP) 2022 and reinstate the provisions allowing the use of Indigenous Nigerian languages as the medium of instruction in early education, with immediate effect. Support for the decision Meanwhile, some Nigerians support the reversal of the mother tongue education policy.
Tosin Adeoti, a public commentator and author, said the decision was the right call. He notes that, A policy designed for countries with one major Indigenous language cannot be pasted onto a country with hundreds… Nigeria does not have the trained teachers, the textbooks, or the infrastructure to deliver primary education in dozens of languages simultaneously.
He adds: Supporting the reversal does not mean dismissing our rich linguistic heritage. Nigerian languages deserve preservation and active cultural promotion. But they should be strengthened through: Compulsory mother-tongue classes Literature and cultural studies extracurricular and community-led enrichment Translation projects Digital language preservation These are proven and sustainable methods.
Making Indigenous languages the medium of instruction in a country with 500 languages is not one of them. The government’s reversal is not a rejection of Indigenous identity. It is a recognition of Nigerian complexity. At the time of writing this report, the Federal Ministry of Education has made no indication that it will reverse the policy.
Written by Abdulrosheed Fadipe
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