NAE faults FG over mother-tongue policy reversal
…raises alarm on rising school attacks
By Uji A Iliyasu Abuja
The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to abolish the National Language Policy, urging the Minister of Education, Prof. Maruf Alausa, to reverse the move and restore mother tongue as the medium of instruction in early schooling.
In a position paper submitted to the minister on November 25 and released on Friday, the Academy argued that extensive global and local research confirms that children learn faster and perform better academically when taught first in their indigenous languages. It said mother-tongue instruction boosts cognitive development, strengthens cultural identity, and reinforces national cohesion.
Signed by NAE President, Emeritus Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, and Secretary-General, Prof. Chris Chukwurah, the statement described the policy reversal as a “grave disservice” to Nigeria’s educational growth. It warned that abandoning mother-tongue learning without proper evaluation amounts to “permanent recolonisation” and the erasure of national identity.
The Federal Government recently scrapped the 2022 National Language Policy and reinstated English as the sole medium of instruction, a stance the minister reaffirmed at the 2025 Language in Education Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja.
But the NAE insisted that landmark studies such as the Ife Six-Year Primary Project and more recent bilingual education research clearly show that pupils taught initially in their native languages outperform those introduced prematurely to foreign-language instruction. It dismissed claims that mother-tongue teaching has contributed to poor examination results, noting that indigenous language instruction ends at Primary Four and no data supports such claims.
The Academy called for immediate restoration of the policy and improved implementation through teacher training, enhanced learning materials, community engagement, and continuous evidence-based review. It stressed that safeguarding early-grade learning in Nigerian languages is essential to reversing declining literacy levels and preserving cultural heritage.
In a related statement, the NAE also raised the alarm over escalating attacks on schools, warning that Nigeria’s education system is “under siege” and edging toward collapse. It reported at least 92 school invasions, some 2,500 abductions, more than 180 children killed, 90 injured, and over 90 still missing since the 2014 Chibok abduction. The group said more than one million children now live in fear of attending school.
“These are not statistics but shattered dreams and grieving families,” the Academy said, lamenting the psychological trauma suffered by learners and teachers, the collapse of public confidence, and the long-term damage to national development.
While acknowledging government efforts such as the Safe Schools Declaration, the NAE said these measures remain inadequate and urged more decisive action, including stronger school protection, stricter punishment for attackers, improved intelligence coordination, trauma support for victims and compensation for affected families.
“Education is the lifeblood of any nation. If Nigeria fails to protect its schools and its young ones, it fails to protect its future,” the Academy warned.