Stakeholders in the education and human rights sectors have urged the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to immediately reverse the suspension of the 2022 National Language Policy.
Leading the call is the CEO of Prakis Educational Services, Prof. Aderemi Obilana, who described the halt as premature and damaging to Nigeria’s cultural and educational development.
Prof. Obilana argued that the decision lacked empirical backing and failed to align with global best practices.
Citing examples from China, Singapore, South Africa, and Finland, he said nations that integrate indigenous languages into early education record stronger learning outcomes.
He also referenced UNESCO’s position affirming that mother-tongue instruction enhances comprehension and cognitive growth.
The minister had last week announced the policy’s cancellation, blaming poor student performance in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB on indigenous language instruction.
But Obilana dismissed the claim as misleading, insisting that no evidence links mother-tongue teaching to national exam failures.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also condemned the suspension, describing it as a “government-sponsored cultural, scientific, and educational suicide.”
The group warned that abandoning mother-tongue education would push Nigeria a century behind other modern societies that prioritise linguistic inclusion.
HURIWA further revealed it is mobilising about 200 lawyers and engaging cultural organisations to challenge the policy reversal.
Its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, questioned why Nigerian children should be compelled to learn exclusively in English, arguing that great global thinkers achieved groundbreaking work in their native languages and that Nigeria must not abandon its linguistic heritage.