UI Senior Staff Club to set national agenda over cancelled language policy
The University of Ibadan (UI) Senior Staff Club will set national agenda on cancelled language policy at its high-stakes national dialogue on the future of language in Nigerian education. The
The University of Ibadan (UI) Senior Staff Club will set national agenda on cancelled language policy at its high-stakes national dialogue on the future of language in Nigerian education.
The landmark event, which is the 4th Edition of the club’s monthly intellectual discourse is slated for Wednesday, 29th April 2026, titled “Education in the Mother Tongue in Nigeria: To Be or Not to Be?”
According to a statement by the organizers, the recent uproar over potential cancellation of the National Language Policy has drawn intense national scrutiny, noting that the policy, which sought to mandate mother-tongue instruction in early primary education, has locked educators, parents, and policymakers in a fierce debate.
According to them, while proponents argued that learning in a child’s first language enhances cognitive development, critics cite the logistical challenges in a nation with over 400 indigenous languages.
The discourse will feature Prof. Francis Egbokhare - a towering figure in linguistics, Open Distance Education and former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) - as the Lead Speaker.
Francis Egbokhare is a veteran researcher and social critic, Egbokhare is expected to lay bare the feasibility or folly of implementing mother-tongue education, drawing from decades of empirical research.
Prof. Durotoye Adeleke, a distinguished scholar of Yoruba literature and film studies at UI, will serve as the panel’s Chairman and Moderator.
Adeleke's career has been defined by exploring the intricate bonds between language, culture, and national development.
Also, the Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, Prof. Clement Kolawole, a renowned expert in Curriculum and Language Education will add to the intellectual.
With over 150 published works, Prof. Kolawole’s insights will be crucial as the panel interrogates how mother-tongue policy can be translated from theory into classroom reality.
On the policy implementation front, Mrs. Bamidele Oyinloye, Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Education, will offer indispensable bridge between academic theory and administrative action, providing a practical perspective on the state's role in enforcing educational standards.
The discourse is a national conversation about identity, equity, and the very future of Nigerian minds.
