LAN WARNS AGAINST REVERSAL OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) has urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Council on Education (NCE) to stop the proposed reversal of the 2022 National Language Policy.
In a statement issued after its 36th Conference at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, LAN described the move as a major setback that would undermine years of research, consultation, and collaboration.
According to LAN President, Prof. Gideon Omachonu, the 2022 policy is a “pedagogical necessity and moral obligation” that ensures children learn better in their mother tongue. He stressed that the policy aligns with UNESCO standards, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4), and Nigeria’s constitutional duty to preserve its languages and culture.
LAN warned that elements of the proposed “Smarter Generation Curriculum,” which seek to drop “One Nigerian Language” as a core subject and ignore the 2022 Policy, contradict global best practices.
“No nation can build a smarter generation by silencing the languages of its people. Educational progress starts with linguistic inclusion,” the statement concluded.