The Fafunwa Educational Foundation has appealed to the Federal Government to reinstate the use of mother tongues as the primary medium of instruction in early basic education, warning that the reversal threatens Nigeria’s cultural and linguistic identity.
In a statement jointly signed by Sheri Fafunwa-Ndibe, a member of the Board of Trustees, and the Foundation’s Secretary, Muyiwa Obiyomi, the organisation argued that abandoning the policy reinforces damaging perceptions that indigenous languages are inferior and weakens the country’s rich linguistic heritage.
The Foundation described the government’s decision as rushed and lacking sufficient evidence, noting that although academic performance has declined nationwide, research does not support the view that mother-tongue instruction is responsible.
According to the statement, the real obstacles facing the policy have been poor implementation, including inadequate funding, limited teacher training, and shortages of appropriate learning materials, rather than any inherent weakness in teaching children in their first language.
The organisation also called on state and local governments, research institutions, university language departments, the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), and other stakeholders to work collaboratively to strengthen indigenous languages as effective tools for teaching and learning.
The statement noted that decades of research show children learn more effectively when taught in the language they naturally understand. It referenced the Ife Primary Education Research Project (1970–1978), led by the late Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, which found that pupils taught in Yoruba demonstrated stronger literacy, numeracy, and comprehension skills, and later outperformed peers who began schooling in English, including in English language examinations.
The Foundation added that similar conclusions have been reached by other scholars and through international experiences in countries such as Japan, China, Spain, Portugal, and Israel. It also cited UNESCO’s consistent position that mother-tongue instruction significantly improves reading comprehension by the end of primary and lower secondary education.
Reiterating its stance, the Fafunwa Educational Foundation urged the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the policy change, stressing that restoring mother-tongue education is vital to preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage and improving learning outcomes.
