Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has said concerns over the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in early childhood education in Nigeria may be exaggerated, urging policymakers to draw lessons from countries such as China, India and South Korea.
Otti spoke at the 24th Annual Symposium of the Fafunwa Educational Foundation (FEF) and the 19th Post-Doctoral Awards in Education, held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The symposium, themed “What Does the Research Say? Mother Tongue Instruction and the Future of Early Education in Nigeria,” brought together educators, policymakers, government officials, parents and members of the media to examine research evidence on the impact of mother-tongue instruction on learning outcomes.
The governor acknowledged the concerns surrounding the use of indigenous languages but argued that Nigeria could learn from countries where children begin their education in their native languages without compromising their educational and developmental progress.
According to him, “The fears, I have to admit, are real, but we may also have to look at a few countries where early education is driven by indigenous languages, including South Korea, India and China. In doing so, we may learn a few lessons from the success they have achieved over the years.”
Otti urged policymakers to focus on identifying and addressing the practical challenges associated with indigenous-language instruction rather than abandoning the approach altogether.
He said, “Whatever good you see around the world took its roots from the seed of an idea. Ideas are the true capital; everything else is complementary.”
The governor described the late Professor Babatunde Fafunwa, Nigeria’s first professor of education and former Minister of Education, as a visionary, dreamer and pathfinder who believed strongly in the capacity of the trained mind to accomplish great things.
He commended the Fafunwa Educational Foundation for sustaining the legacy of the renowned educationist, noting that Fafunwa was not only a teacher, administrator and reformer but also a man known for his warmth, generosity and broad-mindedness.
Otti said the debate over mother-tongue education remained particularly important at the foundational level, noting that it was encouraging that the foundation continued to promote research-supported observations made decades ago by Fafunwa and other scholars that children often learn more effectively when taught in languages they understand.
“While it is fine to disagree with the findings of a research work, it is, however, not acceptable to reject a viewpoint for the simple reason that agreeing with the facts challenges individual biases and ego,” he said.
The governor said that where research establishes benefits from indigenous-language instruction, attention should be directed towards addressing limitations such as inadequate numbers of teachers proficient in local languages, availability of instructional materials and the relevance of particular languages beyond specific communities.
Otti added that the experiences of China, India and South Korea suggested that the use of indigenous languages at the early stages of education did not necessarily constitute a disadvantage.
“My position would be that if children and professionals in China suffer no disadvantage from learning in Mandarin, just like their counterparts in India or South Korea who started their learning in indigenous languages, then the fears against the use of indigenous languages for early-stage education in this part of the world may be exaggerated at best,” he said.
The governor, however, acknowledged that he was not sufficiently specialised in languages or early childhood education to make definitive pronouncements on the subject, expressing hope that the discussions at the symposium would provide useful insights for policymakers.
Policy Reversal
The debate comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s decision in November 2025 to reverse the 2022 National Language Policy, which provided for the use of the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community as the medium of instruction from early childhood through Primary Six.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the policy was reversed because of challenges associated with Nigeria’s linguistic diversity and the disparity between the languages used for teaching and those used for examinations.
Under the revised policy direction, English remains the principal language of instruction from primary through tertiary education.
Experts Identify Implementation Challenges
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan said Nigeria’s major challenge was not the concept of indigenous-language instruction itself but inadequate preparation for its implementation.
He identified teacher training, availability of instructional materials and appropriate assessment methods as some of the major issues requiring attention.
Egbokhare said research had established the benefits of teaching children through indigenous languages during their early years, stressing that the focus should therefore be on resolving the practical difficulties associated with implementation.
He said important questions included the language through which individual children learn best, what language teachers should use where it differs from the pupils’ mother tongue, and how both teachers and learners should be assessed.
He also expressed concern over the availability of textbooks and other learning materials for subjects such as mathematics, science and technology in indigenous languages.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education, Mr. Adeniran Kasali, supported the use of mother tongue in early education, stressing that no nation could achieve sustainable development without promoting and supporting its local content.
The Guest Speaker, Professor Angelina Kioko of the United States International University, Nairobi, observed that code-switching remained common in many African classrooms, even in settings where mother tongue had been mandated as the medium of instruction.
She attributed some of the challenges to inadequate teacher capacity, insufficient instructional materials in indigenous languages and poor implementation of language policies across the continent.
Awards, Book Presentation
Otti congratulated the recipients of the foundation’s post-doctoral awards and reminded them that “the reward for a good job is more work.”
He also congratulated Professor Okey Ndibe on the completion and presentation of Babs Fafunwa: A Mini-Biography for Youngsters, which was unveiled at the event.
The symposium provided a platform for renewed discussion on the place of indigenous languages in Nigeria’s education system, with speakers highlighting both the potential educational benefits and the practical challenges that must be addressed for effective implementation.
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