The Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) has urged the Federal Government to halt any move to reverse the 2022 National Language Policy.
The association warned that such action would undermine Nigeria’s educational progress and cultural integrity.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Association’s 36th Annual Conference held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
It was signed by its National President, Prof. Gideon Omachonu.
Omachonu said the proposed reversal was a major national setback that would negate decades of research, consultation, and international collaboration.
He said the 2022 Policy, which mandates Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) at early childhood and primary levels, was designed to improve learning outcomes and preserve Nigeria’s linguistic diversity.
According to him, the policy was developed through wide national consultation to implement the long-standing provision of the National Policy on Education.
This, he said stipulated that early instruction should be delivered in the language of the immediate environment.
“The policy is not an administrative preference but a pedagogical necessity and a moral obligation to Nigerian children,” Omachonu said.
He warned that reversing it would devalue indigenous languages and weaken the credibility of national education reforms.
Omachonu noted that the 2022 Policy aligns with UNESCO’s framework on inclusive education, Sustainable Development Goal 4, and Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to cultural preservation and social inclusion.
He also cited research, including the landmark Ife Six-Year Primary Project, as clear evidence that mother-tongue instruction enhances literacy, numeracy, and cognitive development.
The LAN President expressed concern that elements of the proposed “Smarter Generation Curriculum” appeared to remove “One Nigerian Language” from the list of core compulsory subjects.
He said the move could restrict focus to a few major languages, exclude hundreds of others, and disregard the 2022 National Language Policy.
“These actions run contrary to both national and international best practices. No nation can build a smarter generation by silencing the languages of its people.
“Educational excellence begins with linguistic inclusion, not exclusion,” Omachonu said. (NAN)