The language-in-education politics in Nigeria

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the rejection of mother tongue-based bilingual education in Southern Nigeria and in Northern linguistic minority areas, this study investigates the micropolitics of language education by interrogating everyday language practices of education stakeholders which are at variance with language-in-education policy. It relied on a wide range of data collected through carefully documented observations of classrooms and school community language practices, semi-structured interviews with publishing managers, informal interviews with teachers as well as a questionnaire survey (covering a comprehensive cross-section of stakeholders across the country). Findings suggest that only a uniformly implemented education policy in all schools across the country can restore the use of Nigeria’s indigenous languages as media of instruction in primary schools. The study recommends a combination of advocacy and research findings to get the policy-makers and education stakeholders to accept first language-based (or L1 based) educational reform.

Keywords:

• language politics
• language education policy
• language reforms
• Nigeria

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following organisations for assistance towards this study: The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for the award of research fellowship to the first author; the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Ibadan (which also awarded Senate Research Grant towards this project) for immense research support. We are also grateful to the following persons who facilitated data collection across the country: Odibeli Ruth Chekwubechukwu, Ogungbile Ezekiel, Hammed Salami, Queen Ugochi Njamanze, Patience Solomon-Etefia, Maduabuch Agbo, Violet Osayimwese Evbayiro, Roseline Ndimele, Esther Senayon, Bolanle Sogunro, Ga Baba Yusuf, Clement Odoje, Gerald Nweya and Yeseera Omonike Oloso. Finally, we thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. In the context of this work, MT-based bilingual education requires the use of the child’s L1 or any other indigenous language which he or she knows very well along with English (L2). So, MT and first language (L1) are used interchangeably in this paper.

2. Nigeria’s education system includes 6 years of primary education, 3 years of junior secondary education, 3 years of senior secondary education and 4 years of university education.

3. The NPE makes provision for initial literacy in the child’s L1 or the language of the immediate community at the pre-primary and junior primary levels (i.e. the first 3 years of the 6-year primary education).