By Felix Khanoba
The Nigerian Academy of Education, NAE, has taken issue with the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue the National Language Policy, urging the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, to restore the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in early schooling.
In a position paper submitted to the minister on November 25 and made public on Friday, the Academy maintained that extensive research backs the use of mother tongue at foundational levels, noting that it enhances learning outcomes, reinforces cultural heritage and supports inclusive national development.
The document, endorsed by NAE President, Emeritus Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, and Secretary General, Prof. Chris Chukwurah, described the policy reversal as a “grave disservice” to Nigeria’s education sector.
It cautioned that ending mother tongue instruction without thorough assessment amounted to “permanent recolonisation and the burial of Nigeria’s future and pride.”
The Federal Government recently scrapped the 2022 National Language Policy, re-establishing English as the exclusive language of instruction at all tiers of education — a position Alausa reiterated at the 2025 Language in Education Conference hosted by the British Council in Abuja.
However, the NAE argued that evidence from landmark efforts such as the Ife Six-Year Project, along with more recent bilingual education studies, consistently shows that pupils who begin learning in their native languages outperform those introduced too early to a foreign language, including in English proficiency.
The Academy dismissed the justification provided by the minister, stressing that poor performance in public examinations cannot be linked to mother tongue teaching, which ends at Primary Four. It added that no data supports the claim that indigenous language instruction has hindered educational standards in the past 15 years.
Calling for the immediate restoration of the policy, the NAE urged the government to bolster implementation through improved teacher training, better instructional materials, stronger stakeholder engagement and regular evidence-based reviews.
It emphasised that grounding early education in Nigerian languages is essential for preserving national identity and curbing further deterioration in literacy levels.
The Academy restated its willingness to support the Ministry in building an education system that is both effective and culturally rooted.
In a separate statement, the NAE also expressed alarm over renewed attacks on schools by terrorists, warning that Nigeria’s education sector is “under siege” and nearing collapse as repeated assaults continue to devastate learners, teachers and communities.
The statement, issued Tuesday and signed by both the President and Secretary General, noted that at least 92 school attacks, 2,500 learner abductions, over 180 children killed, 90 injured, and more than 90 still unaccounted for have occurred since the 2014 Chibok abduction, with the latest incident taking place at St. Mary’s School, Niger State, on November 21.
It added that more than one million children now fear attending school.
“These are not statistics but shattered dreams, grieving families and a generation at risk,” the Academy said, lamenting that increasing violence is undermining the very foundation of national development.
While acknowledging initiatives such as the Safe Schools Declaration and the National Plan for Financing Safe Schools, the NAE insisted that these efforts remain insufficient, providing only “a false sense of security” as schools in the North-East and Middle Belt continue to face high levels of risk.
The Academy warned that persistent insecurity has eroded public trust, pointing to weak governance structures, inadequate emergency response mechanisms and poorly secured school infrastructure. It also highlighted the heavy psychological burden on students, educators and families, ranging from trauma and anxiety to burnout and emotional distress.
It added that the repercussions extend into the wider economy, with millions of children out of school, disrupted communities and long-term human capital at risk.
Calling for urgent action, the NAE demanded robust protection for learners and school staff in line with national and international standards, strict penalties for attackers, improved intelligence-sharing, trauma support for victims and compensation for bereaved 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 statement said.
The Academy urged the government, security agencies and civil society actors to move beyond rhetoric and act decisively. “The time for promises has passed, the time for results is now.”
