The Federal Government has abolished the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in Nigerian schools, making English the sole language of teaching from early childhood to tertiary level.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the new directive on Wednesday at the Language in Education International Conference 2025 organised by the British Council in Abuja.

The two-day conference, themed “Language, Education and Inclusion: Empowering Every Learner,” brought together policymakers, educators, and experts from across Africa, South Asia, and the UK to discuss strategies for improving learning outcomes through language.

Dr. Alausa explained that while preserving Nigeria’s local languages remains important for cultural identity, English offers a more effective and globally competitive medium for learning.

“The English language should be used to teach our students at all levels as a means of instruction,” he said. “Over the years, the use of mother tongues in schools has contributed to poor performance in national examinations. The national policy on language has therefore been cancelled.”

He described English as a “unifying tool” for Nigeria’s diverse population, noting that research showed students taught primarily in English perform better in exams like WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.

According to him, the decision marks a shift from emotional attachment to local language identity toward evidence-based education policy.

Meanwhile, the British Council reaffirmed its support for inclusive and equitable learning across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Julian Parry, Director of English Programmes for the region, said language can serve as “a bridge to inclusion, identity, and opportunity.”

Also speaking, Chikodi Onyemerela, the British Council’s Director of Programmes in Nigeria, highlighted the organisation’s Pan-Ethnic Classrooms Programme, launched in 2015, which helps teachers apply inclusive and language-responsive teaching practices.

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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has directed the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to withdraw its current advertisement for the position of Vice-Chancellor in the institution and publish a revised version which is inclusive.

The directive follows a protest by the clinical lecturers under the aegis of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, which had threatened to embark on strike over what it described as discriminatory criteria in the selection process.

The development comes as clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar called off their indefinite strike.

The clinical lecturers raised concerns over the advert’s qualification requirements, which they argued unfairly excluded medical professionals holding fellowships from eligibility.

The MDCAN insisted that the institutions must withdraw the advertorial announcing a vacancy for the vice-chancellors and accommodate its members.

In a memo dated June 13, 2025, and addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Uyo, the group warned that unless the advert was amended, it would take industrial action.

MDCAN subsequently issued a two-week ultimatum, set to expire on July 1, 2025, demanding that the university revise the criteria to ensure fairness and inclusivity in the appointment process.

Speaking to our correspondent on Monday, the National President of MDCAN, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed that Dr Alausa had intervened directly.

Prof Muhammad said the minister explicitly instructed UNIUYO to retract the existing advert and reissue a version that accommodates both PhD and Fellowship qualifications.

“We had a conference call yesterday (Sunday) with the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Pro-Chancellor of UNIUYO, and the minister explicitly instructed UNIUYO to retract the existing advert and reissue a version that does not sideline anyone.

“The university management and the MDCAN in the university will be meeting today or tomorrow to conclude on the matter and the way forward,” he noted.

Speaking on the UNICAL situation, Prof Mohammed said the matter had also been resolved.

“The matter has been sorted. The university has issued an addendum to the initial advert, now stating that individuals with either a PhD or a medical fellowship are eligible to apply for the Vice Chancellor position.

“Following this resolution, MDCAN members at the University of Calabar resumed their duties last week,” he said.

Explaining the distinction in training pathways between clinical and non-clinical academics in medicine, he said, “In clinical medicine, we don’t follow the conventional Master’s/PhD route. Our training is through a residency programme, which is both academic and clinical, lasting six to eight years and culminating in the award of a fellowship.

“It is this fellowship that qualifies one to be appointed as a consultant in hospitals and as a lecturer in universities. From Lecturer I, one progresses through the academic ranks up to professor, based on established criteria,” he added.

UNICAL lecturers had embarked on the industrial action on June 13 to also protest what they described as exclusion from the ongoing selection process for the position of vice-chancellor.

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The Federal Ministry of Education has directed all Nigerian universities to exclude persons with disabilities from the compulsory post-UTME.

Minister Of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu gave the directive at the African Regional Conference on Equal Opportunities, organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB

Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu who gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja during the first Africa Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education (ARCEAHED), said the move was necessary to ensure equal access to education for all, particularly persons living with disabilities.

“JAMB also sought and obtained approval at the 67th National Council on Education meeting to exempt candidates with disabilities from Post/UTME Screening. I, therefore, reiterate, as already announced, that all tertiary institutions in Nigeria are to offer admissions to all candidates with disabilities who possess minimum admissible scores into the programmes of their choice after writing UTME.

“This initiative, together with the ambitious target to enrol 825,000 students with disabilities cumulatively over the next five years, demonstrates our unwavering commitment to realizing equal access to education.

“It is also important that I inform this gathering that the DOTS policy takes into consideration the unique needs of the vulnerable groups vis-à-vis their needs for quality education and assurance that every child, including those with disability challenges, will have adequate opportunities to acquire adequate skills to realize their full potential later in life.”

Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, called for the establishment of a support centre for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to facilitate access to education.

He proposed that the centre, equipped with the necessary technology and support, should have at least one branch in each geo-political zones of the country, under the auspices of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD).

In another development, the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu has revealed government’s decision to unbundle the country’s 115 unity colleges.

The Minister was speaking at the Annual General meeting of Principals of Unity Schools in Abuja

The Minister also encouraged Unity Colleges to work closely with their host communities to ensure there is a collaborative effort on safe school initiatives.

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