Indigenous Language Policy

Two years after the federal government announced the policy on the language of instruction in schools, little progress has been made in its implementation. Many schools still use English as the medium of instruction, and indigenous languages are only taught as separate subjects.

The Federal Executive Council approved the National Language Policy (NLP) in 2022, making the various mother tongues compulsory medium of instruction from Primary One to Primary 6.

Five years before the FEC approval, in 2017, the federal government announced the plan for Nigerian primary and secondary schools to teach mathematics and science subjects in indigenous languages. The government then set up an inter-ministerial committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Committee was expected to produce a plan to develop the capacity of the local languages to serve as effective tools for teaching mathematics and science subjects better. It was the path countries like China and India took several years back when they adopted a related strategy by teaching mathematics and science subjects in their indigenous languages at the primary school level.

Although the federal government had stressed that the policy could only be fully implemented when instructional materials were developed and qualified teachers were available, nothing appears to have been done two years later.

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Language Development Centre (LDC) recently said implementation has commenced but is still in the early stages. The information is that the government is addressing the challenges before the policy can be fully operational nationwide. This, too, is, however, yet to be seen.

One of the main reasons for this slow progress is the lack of trained teachers who can effectively teach indigenous languages. The government must invest in teacher training programmes to ensure teachers have the necessary skills to teach these languages.

Another challenge is the lack of standardised teaching materials in indigenous languages. In our opinion, the government must work with publishers to develop textbooks and other teaching materials in these languages. This will not only help students learn better but also help to preserve and promote these languages.

It is pertinent that the policy incorporates textbooks in these languages, which will be developed to teach mathematics and science and train teachers who will now use the developed languages to teach children in primary and secondary schools.

The government, in our view, should train and recruit local language teachers who are proficient in using local languages as teaching tools in schools. This will ensure that students are taught in their native language and can better understand the subject matter.

The language policy adopted by an educational system is undoubtedly one of the most powerful forces in language management. After religious institutions, the school is the most likely to confirm or conflict with the pattern of home language use. In fact, most children find a serious gap between their home language (commonly a colloquial variety or dialect of the local language) and the school language, most of which is aimed at or claimed to be the national or official language.

Using indigenous languages in schools has many benefits. It allows students to learn in their mother tongue, improving academic performance and leading to better retention rates. It also helps preserve and promote these languages, an important part of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. The policy is also expected to promote and preserve Nigerian languages.

Moreover, teaching science and social science subjects in indigenous languages can help to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern science. Indigenous languages often have words and concepts that do not exist in English, and teaching in these languages can help to incorporate this knowledge into the curriculum.

The government should monitor and evaluate the implementation of the language policy to ensure that it is effective and achieves its objectives. This will help identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the policy.

That means that for the policy to succeed, the government must invest in teacher training and develop standardised teaching materials in these languages. By doing so, Nigeria can help preserve and promote its cultural heritage while improving the quality of its students’ education.

In the candid opinion of this Newspaper, the government should develop a comprehensive language policy framework that clearly outlines the objectives, strategies, and guidelines for implementing the use of local languages as language of teaching in schools.

In other words, the government should develop a comprehensive language policy framework that clearly outlines the objectives, strategies, and guidelines for implementing the use of local languages as language of teaching in schools.