Held by Nigerian Linguists, Language Associations, Cultural Stakeholders, and Community Representatives on November 28, 2025
Organisers:
Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan and
9ja Language Network in Partnership with the Linguistics Association of Nigeria
Topic:
Breaking Nigerian Language Policy Implementation Barriers
Preamble
We, the participants at the National Language Policy Implementation Summit - comprising leading Nigerian linguists, scholars, educationists, cultural advocates, language associations, and community Representatives - convened to deliberate on the state of Nigeria’s indigenous languages and the recent cancellation of the National Language Policy (NLP) 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Summit drew contributions from eminent scholars, including Professor
Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose, Professor Kola Owolabi, Professor Ahmed Amfani,
Professor Obiajulu Emejulu, Professor Rose Azizza, , and Professor Constantine
Yuka, among several other distinguished experts, who provided deep insights
into the pedagogical, sociopolitical, and developmental implications of the
current policy reversal.
Observations
After extensive deliberations, the Summit observed that:
1 Mother-tongue-based multilingual education is globally recognized as the
most effective foundation for literacy, cognitive development, cultural
continuity, and academic performance.
2 The National Language Policy 2022 was the product of decades of research,
consultations, and evidence from successful bilingual and multilingual
education programs within Nigeria and across the world.
3 The abrupt cancellation of the NLP 2022 contradicts established empirical
findings and undermines Nigeria’s educational goals, national cohesion, and
cultural survival.
4 Many indigenous languages - particularly in minority communities - are
critically endangered, and the removal of mother-tongue instruction accelerates
language extinction.
5 The arguments put forward for the cancellation of the policy lack
credible evidence and fail to reflect existing data from successful
mother-tongue education initiatives as evident in the reports presented by the
Obolo Bilingual Education Center and reports from other community-driven
projects.
6 Effective implementation of language policy requires political support,
adequate teacher preparation, terminology development, resource creation, and
community engagements — areas where scholars and language associations have
made substantial progress.
7 A coordinated national effort involving LAN, NINLAN, Naija Studies
Association, language departments, sociocultural organizations, NGOs and local
communities is essential to Nigeria’s linguistic future.
Resolutions
The Summit resolved as follows:
1 Immediate Reversal of Cancellation:
The Summit formally demands the reversal of the cancellation of the
National Language Policy (NLP) 2022 and calls for the immediate reinstatement
of the provisions allowing indigenous Nigerian languages to be used as the
medium of instruction at the early levels of education.
2 Petition to the National Assembly:
The Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) and allied bodies shall draft
and submit a formal petition to the House Committee on Education and other
relevant committees of the National Assembly requesting the reversal of the
cancellation of the NLP 2022.
3 Evidence Compilation:
Language associations, research centers, and bilingual education projects -
including the Center for Yoruba Language Engineering and the Obolu Bilingual
Education Center - shall compile empirical evidence and performance data that
demonstrate the effectiveness of mother-tongue instruction.
4 Constitution of a Technical Committee:
A multi-stakeholder Technical Committee shall be immediately established,
with designated leadership (chairman and secretary), to coordinate drafting,
data collation, advocacy, and submission processes.
5 Sustained Advocacy & Community Mobilization:
Language communities, sociocultural organizations, and stakeholders shall
generate additional petitions, pass resolutions, and mobilize at local and
national levels to build sustained public support for restoring the NLP 2022.
6 Engagement with Media and Public Enlightenment:
Linguistics departments, language associations, and advocacy groups shall
collaborate with traditional and social media, influencers, journalists, and
community leaders to promote public understanding of the benefits of
mother-tongue education.
7 Development of Language Resources:
Academic institutions and NGOs shall continue supporting communities in
developing orthographies, teaching materials, terminology lists, digital
resources, and NLP/AI tools for Nigerian languages as part of long-term
capacity building.
8 Inclusive Communication:
Key documents, promotional materials, and advocacy briefs shall be
translated into major Nigerian languages to ensure broad national reach and
inclusio
9 Continued Summits and Monitoring:
The Summit organizers shall convene follow-up meetings at regular intervals
to monitor progress, harmonize regional efforts, and strengthen collaboration
among LAN, NINLAN, Naija Studies Association, and other relevant bodies.
Conclusion
The Summit reaffirms that the future of Nigeria’s indigenous languages is
inseparable from the future of Nigerian education, national identity, cultural
survival and national development.
The cancellation of the National Language Policy 2022 represents a major
setback to national development.
We therefore call on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and all
relevant institutions to urgently reinstate the policy, support bilingual/
multilingual education, and collaborate with experts and communities to
safeguard Nigeria’s linguistic heritage for present and future generations.
Issued this day, November 30, 2025, by the Nigerian Languages Summit on
the cancellation of the National
Language Policy Implementation Guideline 2022.
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