The Federal Government has directed teachers across Nigeria to prioritise English as the primary medium of instruction, officially cancelling the national policy that mandated the use of indigenous languages in schools.
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The move, according to the government, is aimed at improving learning outcomes and ensuring uniformity in classroom instruction across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the policy shift while addressing journalists at the Language in Education International Conference 2025, organised by the British Council in Abuja.
The two-day event, themed “Language, Education and Inclusion: Empowering Every Learner,” brought together policymakers, educators, researchers, and development partners from Africa, South Asia, and the United Kingdom to discuss strategies for advancing equitable and quality education through language.
Dr. Alausa emphasised that while preserving indigenous languages remains important for cultural identity, English should be the main language of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary education to enhance comprehension and global competitiveness.
He explained that English serves as a unifying medium across Nigeria’s diverse linguistic landscape, offering students greater access to knowledge, technology, and international opportunities.
The minister added that the decision to cancel the mother tongue policy was based on data showing that its overuse in some regions had contributed to poor performance in national examinations such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.
“English language should be used to teach our students at all levels as a means of instruction. Over the years, mother tongues have been used to teach, and this has largely been responsible for the failures recorded in exams. The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” he said.
In the same vein, the British Council reaffirmed its commitment to promoting inclusive and equitable education through language-responsive teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Julian Parry, Director of English Programmes, Sub-Saharan Africa, described language as “a bridge to inclusion, identity and opportunity for every learner,” stressing the importance of sharing evidence, challenges, and successes to improve global education outcomes.
Also speaking, Chikodi Onyemerela, Director of Programmes, British Council Nigeria, noted that inclusion remains central to the organisation’s work.
“We are deeply privileged to be hosted in Nigeria. Since 2015, through our Pan-Ethnic Classrooms Programme, we have developed inclusive pedagogy initiatives that enable teachers to embed inclusive practices in the classroom,” he said.
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