The Federal Government has debunked claims that it has banned the use of indigenous languages in Nigerian schools, explaining that recent policy adjustments are aimed at improving learning outcomes and preparing students for national examinations conducted in English.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said indigenous languages remain valued within the education system but will no longer serve as the primary medium of instruction beyond the early years of basic education.
“We have not banned indigenous languages in schools,” Alausa stressed. “What we’ve done is a SWOT analysis of what is happening across the country.”
The clarification comes amid concerns raised by stakeholders, including the Bible Society of Nigeria, which in January 2026 warned that several Nigerian languages risk extinction due to declining everyday use.
According to the minister, the policy on mother-tongue instruction has existed for years but was unevenly implemented nationwide. While many states in the Southwest, Southeast, South-South and North-Central regions largely ignored it, parts of the Northwest and Northeast went beyond its original scope.
“The policy was meant for Primary One to Primary Three,” Alausa explained. “But in some places, children were taught in their mother tongue all the way to Primary Six, even Junior Secondary School, and now some people are suggesting up to SS3.”
He noted that this over-implementation created serious challenges, as national examinations such as WAEC, NECO and JAMB are conducted in English.
“These children had to sit for exams in English without adequate preparation or instructional materials in their local languages. The result was poor literacy and numeracy outcomes, and as minister, I will not allow that to continue,” he said.
Alausa revealed that government data shows regions that extended mother-tongue instruction beyond the approved level were “lagging far behind” academically compared to those that transitioned earlier to English.
While acknowledging global evidence that children learn better initially in their mother tongue, the minister said Nigeria’s linguistic diversity makes large-scale deployment difficult.
“We are a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic country with about 646 languages,” he said. “We must be realistic about standardisation and global competitiveness.”
He assured Nigerians that indigenous languages would not be sidelined, adding that pupils will still study at least one native language at primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels.
“We are proud of our languages,” Alausa said.
The clarification follows the Federal Government’s November 2025 decision to scrap the policy mandating indigenous languages as the main medium of instruction nationwide—a move that sparked debate across the education sector.
Educationist Anthony Otaigbe criticised the decision, describing it as “a step backwards” that undermines one of Nigeria’s most progressive education policies.
However, Alausa maintained that the shift back to English as the primary language of instruction is necessary to ensure quality, consistency and global relevance.
“What we are doing,” he said, “is ensuring standardisation and properly equipping our children to compete anywhere in the world.”