Nigeria restores English as medium of instructionCEFR A2
11 Dec 2025
Adapted from Abdulrosheed Fadipe, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Markus Winkler, Unsplash
The Federal Government reversed the 2022 National Language Policy and restored English as the sole medium of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary. The 2022 policy had required Indigenous languages for the first six years and encouraged development of curricula, materials and teacher training for mother-tongue instruction.
The reversal was announced by Minister Tunji Alausa at the 2025 Language in Education Conference in Abuja on 12 November 2025. The decision had been adopted earlier at the 69th National Council of Education meeting in Akure from 3 to 7 November 2025. The minister said high failure rates and students' struggles with English were key reasons.
Many experts and cultural groups criticised the change. A linguistics group launched a petition signed by 999 people and a later summit demanded reinstatement of the policy. Some others supported the reversal and offered alternative measures.
Difficult words
- policy — plan or set of rules by a government
- medium — language used to teach or communicate in school
- indigenous — native to a country or local region
- curriculum — set of school subjects and learning materialscurricula
- minister — government leader in charge of a specific department
- petition — a written request with many signatures for change
- reinstatement — return to a previous policy or position
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you agree with restoring English as the only language of instruction? Why?
- What problems do students have when they learn in a second language?
- How could schools help students learn English better?
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