The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has expressed deep concern over the recent decision of the 69th National Council on Education (NCE) held in Akure from 3–6 November 2025, to cancel the National Language Policy (NLP 2022) and designate English as the sole medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria.
Reacting to the cancellation of the policy by the federal government, NAL in a statement signed by Prof. Andrew Haruna, President, Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), said that the policy was widely received both locally and internationally, and “its abrupt cancellation creates the impression that government is disconnected from the aspirations of the Nigerian people”.
The academy therefore views this policy reversal as a setback with serious and far-reaching implications:
- It undermines decades of advocacy and modest achievements in support of indigenous languages.
- It threatens Nigeria’s linguistic diversity, cultural identity, and national cohesion.
- It contravenes constitutional and educational provisions supporting mother-tongue instruction.
- It risks social and symbolic exclusion, especially for speakers of minority languages.
- It is tantamount to reverting to the colonial enterprise of linguistic domination and cultural alienation.
“Ultimately, a country that deprives its young ones of education in their mother tongue has denied them access to the deepest and most authentic sources of knowledge. The mother tongue is the fountainhead of creative and independent thinking, and to sever learners from it is to impoverish their intellectual and imaginative potential.
“If the policy has not been implemented, it is curious to know the source of the angst and vehemence expressed by the Minister of Education in seeking its reversal,” NAL said.
It therefore affirms that mother-tongue education is essential to both educational excellence and cultural preservation and that eliminating Nigerian languages from the core curriculum will lead to the following:
- Weakens the intellectual and cultural foundation of Nigerian children.
- Contradicts global best practices in multilingual and inclusive education.
- Jeopardizes Nigeria’s long-term socio-cultural and educational development.
- Deprives Nigerian children of the best there is in knowledge; knowledge that begins with, and is nourished by the mother tongue.
The challenge facing Nigeria lies not in the existence of the policy, but in its effective implementation—not its reversal.
NAL has therefore called on the Government and Policymakers to:
- Reinstate and uphold the National Language Policy (2022).
- Retain Nigerian languages in the national core curriculum.
- Invest in teacher training, curriculum design, and production of learning materials in indigenous languages.
- Collaborate with linguistic experts and scholars to ensure effective and phased implementation.
Civil Society, NGOs, and Cultural Organizations:
- Advocate publicly for the protection of linguistic rights.
- Mobilize research and public engagement to hold authorities accountable.
It concludes that the academy remains committed to working with the Federal Government, the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), educational institutions especially the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), and communities to ensure that every Nigerian child learns, thinks, and innovates from a strong foundation in their linguistic and cultural heritage, while acquiring the knowledge and skills to thrive in a globalized world.
It will be recalled that the National Language Policy (2022) was established to promote mother-tongue-based multilingual education, ensuring that children receive instruction in the language of their immediate environment during their first six years of schooling. It was the culmination of over four decades of incremental decisions by the National Council on Education in favour of the use of the mother tongue in education.
GIK/APA