The British Council has restated its dedication to promoting inclusive and equitable education through language-responsive teaching and learning approaches across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja ahead of the Language in Education International Conference 2025, the organisation’s Director of English Programmes for Sub-Saharan Africa, Julian Parry, said the event will explore how language can serve as a bridge to inclusion, identity, and opportunity for every learner.
The two-day conference, themed “Language, Education and Inclusion: Empowering Every Learner,” will bring together policymakers, educators, researchers, and development partners from across Africa, South Asia, and the United Kingdom. The discussions will focus on how language can advance equitable, quality education across diverse contexts.
Parry noted that hosting the 2025 edition in Nigeria was particularly significant because of the country’s linguistic diversity and strong commitment to educational development.
“Language is not just a tool for communication, but a bridge to inclusion, identity, and opportunity,” he said. “In many parts of the world, language remains a barrier. This conference is about sharing evidence, challenges, and successes so that we can learn from one another.”
He explained that the gathering forms part of an ongoing dialogue to ensure that every learner, regardless of language background, has equal opportunities to thrive.
Highlighting the British Council’s global education initiatives, Parry said the organisation continues to support governments in achieving their education goals through programmes focusing on teaching quality, foundational learning, girls’ education, school leadership, and language inclusion in crisis or migration contexts.
Citing examples, he mentioned the Council’s collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation and the Rwanda Basic Education Board to improve English proficiency among teachers of STEM subjects, as well as its Language for Resilience Project in Uganda with Windle International, which helps integrate refugees into host communities through language learning.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, Parry noted that over a million teachers access the British Council’s Teaching English platforms every year, gaining free resources, professional development, and opportunities for global peer learning.
He emphasized that while the British Council is not a policy-making body, it serves as a trusted partner working alongside governments and institutions to achieve their education priorities through evidence-based collaboration.
“Our aim is simple but ambitious — to share evidence, strengthen collaboration, and start a conversation that moves us closer to a world where every learner, regardless of their language background, can participate fully and succeed,” Parry said.
Also speaking, Chikodi Onyemerela, Director of Programmes at British Council Nigeria, said the organisation’s commitment to inclusion continues to shape its programming and partnerships with education stakeholders in the country.
“We are deeply privileged to be hosted in Nigeria, and our work on inclusion directly feeds into our long-term partnerships,” he said. “Since 2015, through our Pan-Ethnic Classrooms Programme, we have developed inclusive pedagogy initiatives that enable teachers to embed inclusive practices in the classroom.”
Onyemerela revealed that the British Council has trained teachers across seven Nigerian states, building their capacity to support diverse learners. He also noted the Council’s role in helping the Federal Government develop and update the National Inclusive Education Policy, first introduced in 2018 and revised in 2024.
“We partnered with the Ministry of Education in developing this policy, and last year, the Minister of State for Education inaugurated an implementation committee during our Inclusive Education Conference to ensure it translates into action,” he said.
He added that the Council’s annual Inclusive Education Conference, which has been held for eight consecutive years, serves as a platform for promoting sustainable inclusive practices within Nigeria’s school system.
“We are focusing on language as a key inclusion issue because it directly impacts learning outcomes,” Onyemerela explained. “Over the years, our conferences have addressed themes such as Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and strategies for moving from policy to practice.”
The 2025 Language in Education International Conference is expected to provide a major platform for advancing discussions on equitable education and language inclusion across the African continent.