Nigeria has scrapped its three-year-old policy promoting mother-tongue teaching in primary schools, after federal education authorities linked the approach to worsening academic outcomes. The decision marks a sharp reversal from the previous administration, which argued that children learn faster when taught in the language they speak at home.
The policy had encouraged early-grade instruction in indigenous languages across the country’s diverse regions. But on Thursday in Abuja, Minister of State for Education Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu Alausa announced that pupils in affected areas had recorded “mass failure rates” in major national examinations. He pointed to performance data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as evidence of serious shortcomings.
Nigeria’s broader education sector is already under strain, weighed down by inadequate teaching materials, low teacher pay, frequent strikes and chronic underfunding. While more than 80% of children enrol in primary school, fewer than half progress to secondary level. An estimated 10 million children remain out of school — the highest figure in the world.
The rollback has been met with mixed reactions. Some education analysts say the policy’s implementation was rushed and ultimately counterproductive. They argue that mother-tongue instruction requires significant long-term investment in curriculum development, teacher training, and textbooks — none of which were sufficiently provided. Others insist the government made the right call.
Education consultant Dr Aliyu Tilde welcomed the decision, saying the country simply lacks the capacity to deliver such a linguistically complex system. “We don’t have trained teachers to teach in dozens of indigenous languages,” he said. “And our major exams — WAEC, JAMB — are all in English. What we need to improve schools is qualified teachers.”
Parents are similarly divided. Hajara Musa, who has two children in early education, said returning to English-based teaching would help young learners adapt earlier to a globally dominant language. But social affairs commentator Habu Dauda believes the government acted too hastily, arguing that three years was far too short to evaluate a transformative policy.
The debate underscores a deeper tension Nigeria continues to navigate: protecting its rich linguistic identity while preparing young people to compete in an English-driven national curriculum and global economy.
