ABUJA (Bn24)— Nigeria has officially reversed its controversial policy requiring the use of indigenous languages as the primary medium of instruction in early education, reinstating English from pre-primary through to university. The decision, announced Thursday by Education Minister Tunji Alausa, comes after three years of implementation failed to produce the expected improvements in academic performance.
The mother-tongue policy, introduced in 2022 under former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, was intended to improve learning outcomes in early childhood by teaching children in their native languages. Adamu and many child development experts argued that children comprehend concepts more readily when taught in a familiar language. Several UN studies have also highlighted the benefits of mother-tongue instruction in early education, particularly in multilingual societies.
However, according to Alausa, the policy’s implementation was uneven and contributed to significant academic underperformance in some regions. “Data from WAEC, NECO, and JAMB indicate alarming failure rates in certain geo-political zones where mother-tongue instruction was adopted widely. The program has failed to deliver the expected results and is therefore being scrapped with immediate effect,” he said during the announcement in Abuja.
Nigeria’s education system faces long-standing structural challenges. Low teacher salaries, inadequate training, frequent strikes, and insufficient learning materials have long hindered the sector. While roughly 85% of children attend primary school, less than half complete secondary education. The UN estimates that approximately 10 million children are out of school in Nigeria, the highest number globally.
Experts and parents expressed mixed reactions to the reversal. Education specialist Dr. Aliyu Tilde praised the government’s decision, emphasizing that Nigeria lacks a sufficient number of trained teachers to instruct students across its dozens of indigenous languages. Exams such as WAEC and JAMB are conducted exclusively in English. Without properly trained educators and teaching resources in multiple languages, the policy was impractical,” he told the BBC.
Parents like Hajara Musa, whose two children are in early education, welcomed the move. “English is a global language used in higher education, business, and daily life. Children should learn it from the start rather than waiting until they are older,” Musa said.
Nevertheless, critics argue that the policy was abandoned prematurely. Social affairs analyst Habu Dauda described the three-year trial period as insufficient to judge a major reform of this scale. “Implementing mother-tongue instruction requires a long-term commitment, including investment in teacher training, curriculum development, and learning materials. Scrapping it after three years ignores its potential benefits,” he said.
The debate underscores Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to balance the promotion of its rich linguistic heritage with the practical demands of a national curriculum and a globalized economy where English proficiency remains crucial. Some education advocates argue that a hybrid approach — incorporating both mother-tongue instruction and early English exposure could provide a sustainable path forward, preserving cultural identity while enhancing academic outcomes.
As the government moves to reinstate English across the education system, attention will shift to improving teacher quality, learning materials, and exam preparation. Observers say the policy reversal highlights the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s schools: achieving meaningful reform in a system constrained by underfunding, overcrowding, and a persistent teacher shortage.
Credit: BBC
