Reverse cancellation of National Language Policy, scholars urges FG
Group of eminent Nigerian scholars has called on Federal Government to reverse cancellation of the National Language Policy, describing the decision as a setback to the nation’s linguistic and educational
Group of eminent Nigerian scholars has called on Federal Government to reverse cancellation of the National Language Policy, describing the decision as a setback to the nation’s linguistic and educational development.
The scholars include a towering figure in linguistics and former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Francis Egbokhare; a distinguished scholar of Yoruba literature and film studies at the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Durotoye Adeleke; and the Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, Prof. Clement Kolawole, who also doubles as a curriculum planner, among others.
Speaking during the fourth edition of the University of Ibadan (UI) Senior Staff Club monthly discourse, titled “Education in the Mother Tongue in Nigeria: To be or Not to Be?”, the academics expressed concern that the policy—though enshrined in the National Policy on Education and the Nigerian Constitution—had yet to be fully implemented before it was abruptly withdrawn by fiat.
Egbokhare, who was the lead speaker at the event demanded an immediate reversal of the cancellation, noting that this was the first time since independence that Nigeria would be operating without a clearly defined national language policy.
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He lamented that English, while serving as the official language and medium of instruction, had become a primary threat to indigenous languages.
He maintained that every language is adapted to the cultural experience and history of its people, to eliminate it, he argued, is a form of linguistic genocide, because children, who are the transmitters of language, are denied the right to use the language of their environment and society.
“Language is big business in the world today. “Killing the languages means killing businesses, employment, and investment opportunities.”
He warned that Nigeria cannot afford “linguistic amnesia,” stressing that indigenous languages are essential tools for shaping a culturally coherent, technologically advanced, and globally competitive future.
“The time to act is now. To preserve, modernise, and leverage our linguistic diversity is to invest in Nigeria’s success and development. Anything less is negligence,” Egbokhare said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the event, Prof. Durotoye Adeleke, expressed dismay over the decision by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on February 6, 2025, to cancel the policy.
He noted that the move had sparked legitimate concern and widespread uproar among stakeholders.
He wondered why Nigeria would discourage the use of indigenous languages in schools even as other countries are adopting similar policies and foreigners are coming into the country to learn them.
He described the cancellation as serving the interests of the elite rather than the masses, and warned that it poses a danger to national development.
One of the discussants, Prof. Clement Kolawole, Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, cautioned that ignoring indigenous languages — vehicles through which people express their civilisation — will not help Nigeria grow as a nation.
He described the cancellation as a disservice to education, culture, and indigenous languages, and called for its immediate reversal.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Bamidele Oyinloye, described the reversal of the policy as a grave threat to Nigeria’s continued existence as a cohesive nation.
She argued that the government should have embarked on educational reform rather than cancelling the policy.
Mrs. Oyinloye urged parents and guardians to consistently speak and teach their wards local languages at home, stressing that Nigeria’s indigenous languages must not be allowed to die for the nation not to lose its identity.
