BACCIMA faults Nigeria’s new language policy, says move threatens education, culture
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), has described Nigeria’s newly announced language policy as a “step backward for education and identity,” warning that it risks endangering children’s learning, weakening cultural heritage, and undermining national development.
The President of the Chamber,Hon. Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki,stated this at an advocacy press conference on Wednesday in Bauchi Danmaliki expressed deep concern that the policy contradicts global best practices and disregards the mandates of federal agencies already established to promote and protect indigenous languages.
“These include the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), and national broadcasting institutions which support mother-tongue programming.
He argued that the new policy, which effectively elevates English as the dominant medium of instruction from early childhood, runs against UNESCO and UN conventions that advocate mother-tongue education, as well as Nigeria’s earlier National Policy on Education.
According to him, global research consistently shows that children learn better and faster when taught in a language they understand.
Danmaliki stressed that abandoning mother-tongue instruction could worsen inequality, especially for rural and low-income children with limited exposure to English.
He warned that the shift threatens Nigeria’s cultural identity, weakens local knowledge systems and risks eroding indigenous languages.
He called for a balanced approach to mother-tongue instruction at early levels, followed by a gradual transition to English similar to models used in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Finland.
The BACCIMA President urged the Federal Ministry of Education, NINLAN, NERDC, state governments, traditional institutions and civil society groups to urgently review the policy to safeguard Nigeria’s linguistic heritage.
“Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity,” he noted, commending The Trumpeter newspaper for publicly challenging the policy.
“A nation that neglects its languages risks cultural extinction. This policy must be reassessed in the interest of national unity and our children’s future.” He said
