Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
The Federal Government has reversed its 2022 National Language Policy, which had mandated that the language of instruction from early childhood to Primary Six should be the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community.
In its place, the government has reaffirmed English as the official language of instruction across all levels of Nigeria’s education system while launching a new Inclusive Language Policy aimed at promoting national unity and quality learning outcomes.
Historically, the 1977 National Policy on Education, revised in 1981, 1998, 2004, and 2013, had stipulated that the first three years of primary education should be conducted in the mother tongue or local language, with English gradually introduced and eventually used as the main language of instruction. As the policy stated, “Government will see to it that the medium of instruction in the primary school is initially the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community and, at a later stage, English.”
The 2022 National Language Policy had expanded this approach, requiring that mother tongue or local languages be used from pre-primary to Primary Six, with English taught only as a subject during this period. The policy aimed to preserve Nigerian languages and promote cultural identity, and it drew inspiration from UNESCO’s language-in-education guidelines, which recommend early education in children’s mother tongue for better comprehension and cognitive development.
Additionally, the National Policy on Culture (1988, revised 2021) had encouraged the promotion and preservation of Nigerian languages as tools for communication, cultural development, and national identity.
With the 2025 Inclusive Language Policy, the Federal Government has now returned English as the medium of instruction, reversing the 2022 policy while aiming to maintain inclusivity, promote learning outcomes, and strengthen national cohesion.
In summary, the evolution of language policies in Nigeria shows a shift from early reliance on mother tongue instruction under the 1977 framework, to broader local-language application in 2022, and now a reassertion of English in 2025, balancing global competitiveness with national inclusivity.
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