The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has urged the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to abolish the National Language Policy (NLP 2022), following the resolution of the 69th National Council on Education (NCE) meeting held in Akure from 3–6 November 2025. The Council’s decision establishes English as the exclusive language of instruction across all levels of education, effectively discarding a policy that had been celebrated for promoting Nigeria’s linguistic diversity.
In a statement signed by NAL President Prof. Andrew Haruna, the academy said the sudden reversal signals a troubling disregard for public sentiment and decades of scholarly consensus. According to Haruna, the NLP 2022 had received broad national and international endorsement, and its cancellation “creates the impression that government is disconnected from the aspirations of the Nigerian people.”
NAL labelled the policy rollback a major setback with broad consequences, cautioning that it:
• Undermines long-standing efforts to promote and preserve indigenous languages.
• Threatens Nigeria’s cultural identity and national cohesion.
• Conflicts with constitutional and educational provisions supporting mother-tongue instruction.
• Increases the risk of marginalising minority language communities.
• Resurrects the dynamics of colonial-era linguistic dominance.
The academy emphasised that education delivered in a child’s first language is critical to intellectual growth, creativity, and emotional development. “A country that deprives its young ones of education in their mother tongue has denied them access to the deepest and most authentic sources of knowledge,” the statement reads. NAL also questioned the urgency behind the federal government’s decision, noting that the policy had not yet been fully implemented.
The group further warned that removing Nigerian languages from the national curriculum will:
1. Erode the intellectual and cultural foundations of Nigerian children.
2. Contradict global best practices in inclusive, multilingual education.
3. Endanger long-term national development in culture, education, and innovation.
4. Limit children’s access to knowledge rooted in local contexts and identities.
NAL argued that the real challenge lies not in the existence of the policy but in ensuring its effective rollout—through teacher training, curriculum development, and sustained investment in learning materials.
To prevent long-term damage to Nigeria’s educational ecosystem, NAL called on policymakers to:
• Restore and uphold the National Language Policy (2022).
• Maintain indigenous languages as part of the core curriculum.
• Strengthen teacher education and resource production in local languages.
• Work collaboratively with linguists, researchers, and institutions such as the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN).
The academy also urged civil society groups, cultural organisations, and NGOs to advocate for linguistic rights and hold authorities accountable through public education and research.
Reaffirming its commitment, NAL said it will continue partnering with government agencies, the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), and community stakeholders to support an educational model where Nigerian children build strong foundations in their mother tongues while gaining the competencies needed for global engagement.
The NLP 2022, introduced after more than forty years of incremental NCE decisions, sought to institutionalise mother-tongue-based multilingual education by requiring children to receive instruction in their local language during the first six years of schooling. Its cancellation marks one of the most significant policy reversals in Nigeria’s education sector in recent years.
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