The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new National Language Policy which makes mother tongue compulsory medium of instruction from Primary 1 to 6.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, announced this Wednesday while briefing State House reporters after the federal cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister, whose responses to questions suggested that the government was cognizant of the challenges that the implementation would face, said mother tongue would be used exclusively for the first six years of education while it will be combined with English language from Junior Secondary School.
He said the policy had officially taken effect could only be fully implemented when government developed instructional materials and provided qualified teachers.
He also said the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.
The minister assured that all Nigeria languages are equal and will be treated as such.
He said: “A memo on national policy was approved by the council. So, Nigeria now has a National Language Policy and the details will be given later by the ministry.
“One of the highlights is that the government has agreed now that henceforth, instruction in primary schools; the first six years of learning will be in the mother tongue.”
The Minister said the decision is only in principle for now because it will require a lot of work to implement it.
