The Federal Government and education providers have been urged by the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) to adopt mother-tongue learning in non-formal education. The Commission warns that continued reliance on foreign languages is limiting progress in reducing illiteracy.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano to mark International Literacy Day, the acting executive secretary of NMEC, Dr John Onimisi Edeh, said Nigeria stands out globally as one of the few countries where most children begin schooling in a foreign language.
“Nigeria stands unique in the global community. We are one of the few nations where the majority of children begin their educational journey in a foreign language. Yet, we are home to one of the richest linguistic tapestries in the world, with over 500 distinct languages spoken across our communities,” he said.
The NMEC boss explained that the Non-Formal Education sector has two prevailing assumptions in literacy delivery within multilingual settings, namely that instruction should be in the mother tongue for Basic Literacy Level and in a second or foreign language for Post Literacy Level.
He added, “The greater the reliance on international languages of wider communication, the lower the expected achievement and the poorer the return on investment. “
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