Nigeria’s Language Policy: A Cultural Genocide?

The Silent Erasure of Nigeria’s Linguistic Heritage

Nigeria, a nation rich in cultural diversity and linguistic complexity, has taken a controversial step that has sparked widespread concern among educators, linguists, and cultural advocates. The decision to abandon mother tongue education, as outlined in the National Council on Education’s recent policy reversal, marks a significant shift away from the country’s linguistic roots. This move not only undermines the very languages that have been central to Nigeria’s identity but also risks erasing the cultural heritage that these languages represent.

The Akure decision, which effectively cancels the 2022 National Language Policy (NLP), has raised eyebrows among experts who argue that it represents a deliberate attempt to marginalize indigenous languages. Despite the fact that many policymakers, including the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, are fluent in their native tongues, they have chosen to prioritize English over the languages that carry the weight of history, tradition, and identity. This preference for a foreign language appears to be rooted in a misplaced sense of loyalty, rather than an understanding of the value that mother tongue education brings to learners.

Prof. Gideon Omachonu, President of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria, has condemned the decision as both a pedagogical failure and a moral wrong. He emphasized that the 2022 NLP was the result of extensive research and consultations involving scholars, teachers, and cultural institutions. Yet, despite these efforts, the policy remains unimplemented, with little support from the government.

This neglect is not new. The decline of indigenous languages in Nigeria can be traced back to the colonial era, when English was introduced as the language of administration and mission schooling. Over time, this created a structural advantage for English, making it the language of prestige and upward mobility. Even after independence, English remained dominant, limiting the reach and impact of indigenous languages.

In November 2022, the Federal Government approved a strengthened NPL, making mother-tongue instruction compulsory across all primary school years. However, implementation has been uneven, hindered by inadequate resources, limited teacher training, and weak political commitment. As a result, the policy has failed to make a meaningful impact on the ground.

Recent studies reveal a stark decline in mother tongue fluency among Nigerian children. In Calabar, only about 31% of pupils aged six to 13 speak an indigenous language fluently, while a nationwide survey found just 30% of the youngest children can speak their mother tongue. These statistics highlight a worrying trend: the younger generation is increasingly disconnected from their linguistic roots.

Despite evidence showing that early-grade learners achieve higher literacy and reading outcomes when taught in their first language, the recent ministerial move ignores this data. Moreover, the infrastructure for indigenous language education remains underdeveloped, with only a small number of Nigeria’s languages having standardized curricula, textbooks, and trained teachers.

The erosion of Nigeria’s indigenous languages is the result of multiple interrelated factors. Colonial and post-colonial policies entrenched English as the language of administration, law, and tertiary education, giving it enduring prestige. Successive governments have neglected local languages, providing little funding for curricula, teaching materials, or teacher training across hundreds of indigenous languages.

Urbanization and internal migration have further contributed to this decline, creating mixed-language environments where children often grow up speaking English more than their mother tongues. Parents and elites reinforce this trend, seeing English as the pathway to social mobility. Media and market forces compound the problem, with broadcast and digital content largely operating in English.

The rejection of the Kilba language curriculum further illustrates this institutional bias. Kilba, spoken in five of the 21 local government areas of Adamawa State, was dismissed as “unnecessary” because it is a minority language. This decision highlights how the very institution charged with preserving Nigeria’s linguistic diversity has pushed it further into the pit.

As BBC Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba services expand to reach audiences in their native languages, increasing the visibility of these tongues, the Nigerian Ministry of Education is actively undermining them. While these services remain primarily news and information platforms, they demonstrate the potential of local languages to promote media reach, cultural influence, and economic engagement.

Nigeria is not the only multilingual nation, and other countries offer lessons on how language policy can strengthen identity without sacrificing global engagement. China, India, and Gulf nations have successfully balanced linguistic diversity with global competitiveness, proving that language policy need not be a binary choice between global utility and local identity.

To reverse decades of neglect and protect the nation’s linguistic heritage, the government must act decisively. The 2022 NLP should be reinstated immediately, with a phased, fully funded implementation plan. NERDC and state education boards must be adequately funded to develop curricula, textbooks, and teacher training for priority indigenous languages. Minority language curricula, such as Kilba, should be approved, and materials for communities whose languages are at risk must be fast-tracked.

An independent audit of language resources across states should be commissioned within three months to identify gaps in teaching, materials, and trained personnel. Targets must also be set for local-language broadcasting and cultural programming on public media, including partnerships with BBC local-language services and other platforms.

Promoting indigenous languages carries clear advantages. Children taught in their mother tongue achieve higher literacy and cognitive development, while language strengthens cultural identity, preserves historical memory, and fosters social cohesion. Indigenous languages also enable communities to engage more fully in governance, education, and technology, unlocking economic and social development.

Education is meant to be a tool of liberation, and mother tongue instruction is both a basic right and a powerful instrument for social, cultural, and economic development. The Akure decision is a political choice that favors a foreign tongue over Nigeria’s multilingual future, erasing decades of progress and undermining learning. Nigerians must urgently demand the reinstatement of the 2022 National Language Policy, support for minority languages, and full implementation. Refusal by the government signals it despises national progress.