Nigeria has ended a three‑year experiment that used indigenous languages for early schooling, with Education Minister Tunji Alausa saying the programme failed to produce expected results. English will be reinstated as the primary medium of instruction from pre‑primary through university, a decision justified by poor WAEC, NECO and JAMB results in adopting regions. The move divided opinion: some stakeholders welcomed it as pragmatic, while others said three years and limited investment were insufficient to judge the policy fairly. Observers say lasting improvement will require stronger teacher training, textbooks and broader education reforms.
Nigeria Reverses Mother‑Tongue Teaching Policy — English Restored from Pre‑Primary to University
Nigeria has ended a three‑year experiment that used indigenous languages for early schooling, with Education Minister Tunji Alausa saying the programme failed to produce expected results. English will be reinstated as the primary medium of instruction from pre‑primary through university, a decision justified by poor WAEC, NECO and JAMB results in adopting regions. The move divided opinion: some stakeholders welcomed it as pragmatic, while others said three years and limited investment were insufficient to judge the policy fairly. Observers say lasting improvement will require stronger teacher training, textbooks and broader education reforms.
12:03 AM, 11/14/2025Society
Nigeria Reverses Mother‑Tongue Teaching Policy
The federal government of Nigeria has announced the immediate cancellation of a three‑year policy that required indigenous languages to be used as the medium of instruction in the earliest years of schooling. Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa said the programme, introduced under former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, had not delivered the expected improvements and would be scrapped with immediate effect. English will be reinstated as the primary medium of instruction from pre‑primary through to university.
Official Rationale
Announcing the reversal in Abuja, Dr Alausa cited poor examination outcomes from regions that adopted mother‑tongue instruction. He pointed to data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), saying:
"We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in certain geo‑political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an over‑subscribed manner."
Systemic Challenges
Officials say the policy reversal comes against a backdrop of longstanding problems in Nigeria's education system, including weak teacher training, shortages of textbooks and learning materials, low teacher pay and frequent industrial action. Although about 85% of children enroll in primary school, fewer than half complete secondary education, and the UN estimates roughly 10 million Nigerian children are out of school — the largest national total worldwide.
Responses: Divided Views
The decision has prompted mixed reactions. Some parents and education specialists welcomed the move, suggesting the policy's implementation undermined learning outcomes. Hajara Musa, a mother of two in early education, told the BBC she supported the return to English:
"English is a global language that is used everywhere and I feel it's better these kids start using it from the start of their schooling instead of waiting for when they are older."
Other experts believe the policy was abandoned too quickly. Social affairs analyst Habu Dauda said three years is insufficient to evaluate such a fundamental change and argued the government should have invested more in teacher training, curricula and learning materials.
Education specialist Dr Aliyu Tilde supported the reversal on pragmatic grounds, asking whether Nigeria had the capacity to train teachers across dozens of indigenous languages and noting that major public exams are administered in English.
Wider Implications
The debate highlights a persistent tension in Nigeria: how to preserve and promote a rich linguistic heritage while ensuring students gain proficiency in English, a language dominant in national exams, higher education and international opportunities. Observers say that beyond language policy, sustainable improvements will require considerable investment in teacher quality, resources and systemic reforms.
What remains clear: the government has prioritized short‑term measurable exam performance and national uniformity, while critics caution that longer planning and funding would be needed to make mother‑tongue instruction viable at scale.