By Erewunmi Peace

The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has called on the Federal Government to reconsider its recent decision to cancel the National Language Policy introduced in 2022.

The policy, which promoted the use of mother-tongue or indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in the early years of education, was recently scrapped by the Ministry of Education. The government announced that English would now serve as the sole language of instruction in schools.

In a statement, NAL expressed concern that the cancellation could negatively affect linguistic development and weaken cultural identity. The body argued that mother-tongue education has been proven globally to support better learning outcomes, especially among young children.

NAL also noted that the policy had not been fully implemented before its cancellation, making it difficult to conclude that it was ineffective. The Academy urged the government to focus on proper implementation, teacher training, and development of learning materials in local languages rather than abandoning the policy entirely.

Stakeholders in the education sector continue to react to the decision, with many calling for wider consultation before further changes are made.