Gani Adams Urges Reversal On Usage Of Mother Tongue In Schools

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, hs appealed to the federal government to reverse the policy of removing the usage of mother tongue as the language of instruction from the Nigerian education curriculum.

Iba Adams, who is the convener of Oodua Progressive Union Worldwide, stated that deploying mother tongues as the language of instruction in the educational sector has always assisted pupils and students to properly assimilate lessons taught in classrooms and, as such, deserves to be accorded a rightful place while imparting knowledge to students.

Iba Adams made the appeal while delivering his address at the 15th Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) World Congress held in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

Speaking at the 2-day event, tagged: “Empowering the Yoruba Homeland and Diaspora: Strategies for Growth and Development”, Iba Adams disclosed that no ethnic race ever attains greatness in the world by neglecting its language, stressing that the essence of education is to learn more about people’s race and language.

Stressing that the educational, cultural and social benefits of mother tongue instruction in Nigeria are numerous, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland noted that removing mother tongue instruction risks impairing students’ understanding and academic performance, especially in early education

“Research consistently shows that children learn best in their mother tongue during the foundational years of education. Mother tongue instruction enhances comprehension, critical thinking, and cognitive development, providing a strong foundation for acquiring additional languages and complex subjects.

“Nigeria is also a multilingual nation with rich cultural diversity. Mother tongue instruction, therefore, promotes cultural identity, pride, and continuity by connecting children to their heritage.”

He added that eliminating mother tongue from the curriculum undermines efforts to preserve indigenous languages and cultures, leading to cultural erosion and loss of identity among younger generations.