ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Nigerian Academy of Education has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to abolish the National Language Policy, urging the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, to reconsider and reinstate mother-tongue instruction at the foundational stages of schooling.
In a position paper submitted to the minister on November 25 and released to journalists on Friday, the NAE argued that extensive research supports early learning in indigenous languages, noting that it improves academic performance, reinforces cultural identity, and promotes inclusive national development.
In the statement signed by NAE President, Emeritus Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, and Secretary-General, Prof. Chris Chukwurah, the reversal was described as a grave disservice to Nigeria’s educational advancement.
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The Academy warned that abandoning mother-tongue teaching without proper evaluation amounted to “permanent recolonisation and the burial of Nigeria’s future and pride.”
The Federal Government recently scrapped the 2022 National Language Policy, declaring English the sole medium of instruction at all levels an announcement reaffirmed by Alausa at the 2025 Language in Education Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja.
However, the NAE insisted that decades of evidence from historic initiatives such as the Ife Six-Year Project to modern bilingual-education research show that pupils first taught in their native languages outperform peers introduced too early to foreign-language instruction, including in English.
The Academy dismissed the minister’s justification, arguing that poor performance in public examinations cannot be linked to mother-tongue instruction, which ends at primary four.
It added that no empirical findings support claims that indigenous-language teaching has harmed learning outcomes in the last 15 years.
While calling for the immediate reinstatement of the policy, the Academy urged the government to improve implementation through better teacher training, enhanced instructional materials, stakeholder inclusion, and periodic data-driven reviews.
The NAE emphasised that protecting early-grade learning in Nigerian languages is essential to preserving the nation’s cultural heritage and preventing further literacy decline.
It reaffirmed its willingness to collaborate with the ministry to build a culturally rooted and effective education system for future generations.
In a separate statement issued Tuesday and signed by the President and Secretary-General, the Academy also condemned rising attacks on schools by terrorists, warning that Nigeria’s education system is under siege and nearing collapse as persistent assaults devastate pupils, teachers and communities.
It reported that since the 2014 Chibok abduction, Nigeria has witnessed at least 92 school invasions, 2,500 kidnapped learners, over 180 children killed, 90 injured, and more than 90 still unaccounted for, culminating in the recent attack at St. Mary’s School, Niger State, on November 21.
The NAE added that more than one million children now fear attending school.
“These are not statistics but shattered dreams, grieving families and a generation at risk,” the Academy said, lamenting that mounting violence is eroding the foundation of national development.
While acknowledging government interventions including the Safe Schools Declaration and the National Plan for Financing Safe Schools the Academy argued that these measures remain insufficient, creating only a false sense of security as schools across the North-East and Middle Belt remain vulnerable.
It noted that insecurity has severely damaged public confidence, as many schools lack basic governance structures, emergency-response mechanisms, and secure infrastructure.
The psychological impact on learners, teachers and families has been profound, ranging from trauma and anxiety to burnout and emotional distress.
The Academy said the ripple effects extend deep into the economy, with millions of children out of school, communities destabilised, and long-term human capital diminishing rapidly.
Calling for urgent and decisive action, the NAE demanded full protection for learners and school personnel in line with national and international obligations, tough penalties for offenders, better intelligence coordination, trauma support for victims and compensation for affected families.
“Education is the lifeblood of any nation. If Nigeria fails to protect its schools and its young ones, it fails to protect its future,” the statement read.
The Academy urged the government, security agencies and civil society to move beyond rhetoric and take unified, bold steps.
It added, “The time for promises has passed; the time for results is now.”
The Federal Government’s decision to reverse its policy requiring young learners to be taught in their local languages and to restore English as the medium of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary levels has stirred intense debate.
The reversal, announced by Education Minister Tunji Alausa, was attributed to poor academic performance in states that adopted the language-of-origin curriculum.
Alausa said assessments from national examination bodies revealed higher failure rates in regions where indigenous languages were heavily used in early education.
The original 2022 policy mandated teaching from Early Childhood Education to Primary Six in mother tongue or the language of the immediate community.
However, the government now argues that the policy did not achieve its intended goals, citing low exam performance in English.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from education experts.
While some welcome the return to English instruction as a practical response to declining academic outcomes, others warn that the move threatens Nigeria’s linguistic diversity and disregards the long-term benefits of mother-tongue-based education.
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