•FG scraps policy mandating mother tongue as medium of instruction
• Minister of Education says data shows policy worsened failure rates nationwide
• English now official language of teaching from pre-primary to tertiary levels
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The Federal Government has cancelled the policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in Nigerian schools, declaring English as the sole language of teaching at all levels of education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Wednesday at the 2025 Language in Education International Conference, organised by the British Council in Abuja.
According to the minister, the decision followed a comprehensive review of national performance data, which showed that students taught primarily in their mother tongue had recorded lower results in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations, especially in certain regions.
“We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in geo-political zones that adopted the mother tongue excessively,” Alausa said.
“Using indigenous languages for the past 15 years has destroyed education in certain regions. This is evidence-based governance, not emotion.”
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In a statement at the event, Alausa clarified that English will now serve as the official language of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary levels, describing the policy shift as part of government’s broader education reform agenda.
He explained that analysis from schools across the country revealed that pupils taught in local languages struggled with English comprehension and underperformed in national assessments.
“The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” the minister reiterated.
Dr. Alausa, however, encouraged academics and policymakers with contrary views to present verifiable data to support their arguments, assuring that the government remained open to evidence-based dialogue aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s education system.
