FG Seeks Reversal Of Mother Tongue As Medium Of Learning In Primary Schools

The Federal Government has urged the National Council on Education and stakeholders to approve the reversal of the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction from primary one to six.

The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, made the appeal at the 2025 Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting in Abuja yesterday.

Ahmad also called on the council to approve the review of the national policy on education to restrict the use of mother tongue to Early Childhood Care Development and Education and primary one.

The NCE had previously advocated the use of the mother tongue of the immediate environment as the medium of instruction in the first three years of primary education.

The policy aimed to preserve Nigerian languages and enhance foundational learning. However, the Federal Executive Council approved its implementation on November 30, 2022.

The minister of state highlighted several challenges hindering the implementation of the policy. A h m a d said:“Inconsistencies in policy execution, especially in urban areas and some parts of the country, impede implementation.

“We use English from the start, contradicting the policy. With over 500 languages in Nigeria, implementation becomes complex, making it difficult to select a dominant language in multilingual communities. Limited availability of instructional materials and textbooks, among other factors, hinders implementation.”