The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has condemned the decision of the 69th National Council on Education (NCE) to cancel the National Language Policy (NLP 2022) and adopt English as the sole medium of instruction at all levels of education, describing the move as a “setback with far-reaching implications” for the country’s educational and cultural development.
In a press statement signed on Friday by NAL President Prof. Andrew Haruna, the Academy expressed “deep concern” over the policy reversal announced at the NCE meeting held in Akure between November 3 and 6.
The Academy criticised the decision as dismissive of decades of research, expert consensus and public advocacy in favour of mother-tongue-based multilingual education.
According to NAL, “The National Language Policy (2022) was the product of over 40 years of incremental policy decisions and rigorous nationwide consultations aimed at ensuring that Nigerian children receive their first six years of education in their mother tongue or the language of their immediate environment.”
The Academy noted that” global studies; supported by UNESCO guidelines; consistently show that mother-tongue instruction improves literacy, cognitive development and academic outcomes while promoting cultural identity and social inclusion.”
It also recalled the landmark Ife Six-Year Primary Education Study led by the late Professor Babs Fafunwa, which has since been replicated in countries such as Bolivia and informed recent multilingual initiatives in Ghana.
NAL said it was “ironic” that while other African nations were adopting Nigeria’s model, Nigeria was abandoning a policy that it had not even implemented. The statement further suggested that the Minister of Education may be “unaware” that an approved implementation framework for the NLP 2022 already exists.
The Academy warned that the cancellation poses serious risks, including the erosion of linguistic diversity, weakening of national cohesion, contravention of constitutional provisions on education, and symbolic exclusion of minority language speakers. It argued that reverting to English-only instruction amounts to restoring “colonial linguistic domination and cultural alienation.”
“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 statement read. “To sever learners from the mother tongue is to impoverish their intellectual and imaginative potential.”
NAL emphasised that the problem lies not in the existence of the National Language Policy but in its lack of implementation. It warned that eliminating Nigerian languages from the core curriculum would weaken children’s intellectual foundation, contradict global best practices and jeopardise long-term national development.
Sunday Ehigiator
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