FG Drops Mother Tongue Policy for Teaching in Schools, Gives Reasons

The Federal Government has scrapped the national policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in schools, directing teachers nationwide to adopt English as the primary language of teaching.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the new policy during the Language in Education International Conference 2025, organised by the British Council in Abuja.

According to Alausa, the shift aims to improve learning outcomes and ensure uniformity in classroom instruction across the country.

He noted that while preserving local languages is vital for cultural identity, English remains crucial for comprehension, unity, and global competitiveness.

“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 contributed to mass failures in examinations.

“The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” he stated.

The minister explained that data showed the overuse of mother tongues in teaching had negatively affected student performance in exams such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.

The two-day conference, themed “Language, Education and Inclusion: Empowering Every Learner,” brought together educators, policymakers, and development partners from Africa, South Asia, and the UK to explore language-based strategies for inclusive education.