The Nigerian government has officially repealed a contentious education policy that required the use of indigenous languages as the primary medium of instruction in early schooling, opting to reinstate English as the standard language of teaching from pre-primary through university.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa announced the immediate reversal on Thursday, noting that the three-year-old mother-tongue policy had failed to produce positive academic outcomes. The reform, introduced under former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, was based on the argument supported by several UN studies that young learners better grasp foundational concepts when taught in their native languages.
Mounting concerns in the education sector
Nigeria’s education system continues to grapple with deep-rooted challenges, including chronic underfunding, teacher shortages, poor learning materials, and frequent industrial action. While 85% of Nigerian children enroll in primary school, fewer than half transition to secondary school. According to the UN, the country also has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children an estimated 10 million.
Minister Alausa attributed the policy reversal to data from key examination bodies WAEC, NECO, and JAMB showing disproportionately high failure rates in regions that implemented mother-tongue instruction most extensively.
“We observed mass failure in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB across certain geopolitical zones, and those are precisely the regions that adopted the mother-tongue approach in an over-enthusiastic manner,” he said during the briefing in Abuja.
Mixed reaction from experts and parents
The sudden cancellation has prompted diverse reactions from educators, analysts, and families.
Supporters of the reversal argue the mother-tongue policy was poorly executed and contributed to declining academic performance. Education expert Dr. Aliyu Tilde welcomed the decision, pointing out that Nigeria lacks the trained teachers and teaching resources required to effectively deliver instruction in its numerous indigenous languages.
“Do we have qualified teachers to teach in dozens of local languages? The answer is no. WAEC, JAMB and other national exams are all administered in English. Improving our education system begins with hiring competent teachers,” he said.
Many parents share this view. Hajara Musa, a mother with two children in early education, said early English exposure gives learners a competitive edge in a global environment.
“English is an international language. It’s better for children to start learning it from the foundation rather than waiting until they’re older,” she said.
However, critics argue the government acted too swiftly. Social affairs analyst Habu Dauda described the move as premature, emphasising that a policy of this scale requires significant investment in teacher training, curriculum development, and learning materials before its impact can be fairly evaluated.
“Three years is far too short to judge such a major shift. The government should have invested more and given it time,” he said.
A delicate balance
The debate underscores Nigeria’s long-standing challenge: preserving its rich linguistic and cultural diversity while meeting the practical demands of a unified national education system and a global economy in which English remains dominant.
