BACCIMA President warns FG against discarding mother-tongue language in school

By Rauf Oyewole 

The President, Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Hon. Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki has warned the Federal Government against discarding mother-tongue language as a means of instruction in school, saying that the policy would have adverse effect on the future of the present generation.

Danmaliki said this on Wednesday while reacting to a new policy announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. He stated that the decision aligns with Nigeria’s education reforms to strengthen inclusivity and align with global best practices under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

While reacting, the Danmaliki, who is also the founder of Malkiya College of Health and Nursing Sciences, argued that the policy negative the aim that established the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) –teach, research, preserve, and promote Nigerian languages.

He further said that the efforts of some government agencies like Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and NBC promote mother-tongue programming to ensure access to information in local languages. “These institutions exist for a reason, but a policy that sidelines indigenous languages undermines their entire purpose and weakens Nigeria's educational and cultural foundation.”

He added that research and global evidence from UNESCO in 2003; World Bank, 2021 showed “that children learn best in the language they understand. Early literacy in the mother tongue improves later learning in other languages (including English). Mother-tongue education preserves culture, identity, and self-esteem. It encourages community participation and reduces dropout rates.

“Therefore, abandoning the mother tongue can lead to: cognitive disadvantages, children struggling to understand abstract concepts in an unfamiliar language, cultural alienation, loss of connection with heritage and traditional wisdom. Increased inequality rural and poor children (who lack strong English exposure) fall behind urban elites.

“Is using English the ‘right’ decision? Not necessarily. While English provides a neutral and unifying platform in Nigeria's multiethnic context, making it the exclusive medium of education especially at foundational levels is pedagogically unsound and socioculturally harmful,” he said.

He added that there is no European or Asian country where English is adopted above their mother-tongue language as the official language of instruction.