FG Scraps Policy Mandating Indigenous Languages in Schools

The Federal Government has officially cancelled the National Language Policy that required schools to teach in indigenous languages from early childhood through primary education.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja. The policy, initially approved in 2022, aimed to preserve local languages, improve learning outcomes, and give mother tongues equal recognition, while English remained the official language for later education.

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Dr. Alausa explained that extensive data review revealed the mother tongue policy had contributed to declining academic performance in some regions. “We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in certain geo-political zones that adopted the mother tongue policy extensively,” he said.

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The minister stressed that English will now be the medium of instruction from pre-primary through tertiary education. “This is about evidence-based governance. Learning outcomes have declined under the indigenous language approach. Using mother tongue instruction in Nigeria over the past 15 years has negatively impacted education in certain regions,” he added.

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, also highlighted new initiatives to strengthen literacy and numeracy at foundational levels. She noted the ministry is designing specialized teacher training programs for pre-primary and early primary levels to improve teaching methods in literacy and numeracy.

British Council Country Director Donna McGowan reaffirmed the Council’s support for Nigeria’s education reforms, committing to continued partnerships on teacher development, school leadership, and language proficiency.