OTTI CALLS FOR STRONGER USE OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN EARLY EDUCATION

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged Nigeria to examine the experiences of countries such as China, India and South Korea in using indigenous languages during the early stages of education.

Otti made the call at the 24th Annual Lecture and Symposium of the Fafunwa Educational Foundation in Lagos, where education experts discussed the role of mother-tongue instruction in early learning.

The governor said concerns about teaching children in indigenous languages were understandable but should be addressed through proper planning rather than used as a reason to reject the approach. He pointed to countries where early education is conducted in local languages and said Nigeria could draw lessons from their experiences. 

Otti also acknowledged challenges, including the shortage of teachers fluent in indigenous languages and the limited availability of learning materials.

Professor Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan said the major difficulty facing mother-tongue education in Nigeria was implementation. He identified teacher training, instructional materials and appropriate assessment as areas requiring attention.

The discussions come after the Federal Government reversed the 2022 National Language Policy in 2025, making English the language of instruction across Nigerian schools. 

Education experts at the event called for stronger preparation and resources if indigenous-language teaching is to be effectively implemented.