FG advocates reversal of mother tongue instruction policy in primary education

ABUJA, Nigeria- The Federal Government has encouraged the National Council on Education and relevant stakeholders to endorse the reversal of using mother tongue as the language of instruction for students from primary one to six. 

The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed this appeal during the 2025 Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting held in Abuja yesterday.

Ahmad also urged the council to consider revising the national education policy to limit the use of mother tongue exclusively to Early Childhood Care Development and Education, as well as primary one.

The National Council on Education had previously supported the idea of using the local mother tongue as the language of instruction during the first three years of primary education. This policy aimed to preserve Nigerian languages and improve foundational learning.

However, the Federal Executive Council approved its implementation on November 30, 2022. The minister of state pointed out several challenges that are obstructing the policy's execution.

Ahmad stated: “Inconsistencies in policy application, particularly in urban areas and some regions of the country, hinder effective implementation.

We start using English, which contradicts the policy. With over 500 languages spoken in Nigeria, the implementation of such a policy becomes intricate, complicating the selection of a dominant language in multilingual neighborhoods.

Additionally, the limited availability of instructional resources and textbooks further complicates the implementation process.”