Abuja | November 12, 2025

The Federal Government has officially scrapped the policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in schools, declaring English as the only approved language for teaching from the pre-primary to tertiary levels.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement at the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja.

The cancelled 2022 National Language Policy had directed that pupils from early childhood to primary six be taught in their mother tongue or the language of their immediate community, with the goal of promoting indigenous languages and enhancing learning at the foundational level.

Dr. Alausa explained that recent data revealed a decline in students’ performance linked to the use of local languages as the medium of instruction. According to him, the findings showed that many students performed poorly in national examinations such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, particularly in areas where the policy was fully implemented.

“We are guided by evidence, not sentiment. The data shows that using the mother tongue has contributed to mass failures and weak comprehension skills. English will now serve as the sole language of instruction across all levels of education,” he stated.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, said the government is developing a new teacher training framework focused on improving literacy and numeracy skills at the foundational stages of learning.

Also speaking, the Country Director of the British Council, Donna McGowan, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reforms through teacher training, school leadership development, and improved language proficiency.

The new directive marks a major shift in Nigeria’s education policy, positioning English as the exclusive language of instruction in a bid to enhance learning outcomes nationwide.