By Anita John 
ABUJA | NOVEMBER 12, 2025: The Federal Government on Wednesday scrapped the use of mother tongue for teaching in public schools across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known during the 2025 Language in Education International Conference, organised by the British Council in Abuja. “The national policy on language has been cancelled. English now stands as the medium of instruction across all levels of education,” he declared.
Edubase Nigeria gathered that the cancellation was approved at the 69th meeting of the National Council on Education, held in Akure, Ondo State, from November 3 to 7.
Recall that the policy to use indigenous languages for teaching in public schools was approved during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 as the National Language Policy. The policy stipulates that children from Early Childhood Education to Primary Six should be taught in their mother tongue or the language of the immediate community.
The Minister of Education from 2015 to 2023, Adamu Adamu, had stated that the mother tongue policy was meant to promote indigenous languages, improve early childhood learning outcomes, and recognise their equal status, while English remained the official language for later education and formal settings.
But Alausa said the policy has now been reverted, stating that “English will now be the language of instruction across all levels of education, from primary through tertiary.”
The minister explained that the policy was reverted because data has shown poor academic performance in subjects where mother-tongue instruction had been used.
According to him, the data is there for everyone. “This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and tertiary education.”
Alausa added, “Using the mother-tongue language in Nigeria for the past 15 years has literally destroyed education in certain regions. We have to talk about evidence, not emotions.”
He urged stakeholders with evidence-based views and data to come forward for an open dialogue with the government.
He also hailed the British Council for its ongoing partnership with Nigeria in advancing education reforms and promoting inclusive language and learning policies.
The British Council Country Director, Donna McGowan, promised continuous support for the progress of Nigeria’s education.
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Editorial Staff