E webatara Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba bụ National Language Policy (NLP) n’afọ 2022 site n’aka Ministri Agụmakwụkwọ Gọọmenti Etiti bụ Federal Ministry of Education  n’okpuru nduzi Mallam Adamu Adamu. Iwu a nyere iwu ka a na-eji asụsụ ụmụamaala akụzi ụmụakwụkwọ ihe n’ime afọ isii mbụ ha na-agụ akwụkwọ.
Ihe ndị ọzọ dị mkpa dị n’Iwu a gụnyere ịkwalite mmepe usoro ọmụmụ, ngwa ọmụmụ na akụrụngwa n’asụsụ Naịjirịa, yana ịkwado mmemme ọzụzụ na iwulite ikike ndị nkuzi maka iji asụsụ nne na nna akụzi ihe.

Mgbanwe e mere n’Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ

Minista Na-ahụ Maka Agụmakwụkwọ na Naịjirịa, Tunji Alausa, kwupụtara mkpebi ịgbanwe Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ ahụ na Mgbakọ Asụsụ na Agụmakwụkwọ nke afọ 2025, nke e mere na Abuja na Nọvemba iri abụọ 2025. E buru ụzọ kwado mkpebi ahụ na Mgbakọ Kansụl Agụmakwụkwọ Mba nke 69, nke e mere na Akure, Steeti Ondo, site na Nọvemba atọ ruo asaa, 2025.

Minista ahụ kwuru na e nwere ọtụtụ ihe kpatara mkpebi ịgbanwe iwu ahụ, gụnyere ọnụọgụgụ ụmụakwụkwọ dara ule nke ukwuu na ihe isi ike ụmụakwụkwọ na-enwe n’ịghọta asụsụ Bekee. O kwuru, sị:

We have seen a mass failure rate in West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an oversubscribed manner. This is about evidence-based governance. English now stands as the medium of instruction from pre-primary, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary to the tertiary education level.

Anyị ahụla nnukwu ọdịda n’ule Kansụl Ule nke Mba Ọdịda Anyanwụ Afrịka bụ West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Kansụl Ule Mba bụ National Examination Council (NECO) na Ule Ịbanye Mahadum Dị n’Otu bụ Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) n’akụkụ ụfọdụ nke mba a, ọ bụkwa mpaghara ndị ahụ bụ ndị ji asụsụ nne na nna eme ihe n’ụzọ karịrị akarị. Nke a gbasara ọchịchị nke dabeere n’ihe akaebe. Ugbu a, Bekee ga-abụ asụsụ a ga-eji akụzi ihe site n’ụlọ akwụkwọ ọta akara, ụlọakwụkwọ praịmarị, ụlọ akwụkwọ sekọndrị nke nta na nke ukwu, ruo n’ọkwa agụmakwụkwọ mahadum.

Ọ gara n’ihu ikwu, sị:

Using the mother tongue language in Nigeria for the past 15 years has literally destroyed education in certain regions. We have to talk about evidence, not emotions.

Iji asụsụ nne na nna akụzi ihe na Naịjirịa n’ime afọ iri na ise gara aga emebiela agụmakwụkwọ kpamkpam n’ógbè ụfọdụ. Anyị kwesịrị ikwu maka ihe akaebe, ọ bụghị mmetụta obi.

Nkatọ banyere mkpebi ahụ

Otú ọ dị, ọtụtụ ndị ọkà mmụta asụsụ, ndị nkuzi na ndị na-akwado ọdịbendị akatọla mkpebi ahụ. Ụlọ Ọmụmụ Akwụkwọ Naịjirịa bụ Nigerian Academy of Letters  (NAL) ekwupụtala enweghị afọ ojuju ya banyere ịkagbu Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba (NLP), ma na-arịọ Gọọmenti Etiti ka o weghachite usoro agụmakwụkwọ nke dabere n’asụsụ nne na nna.

Onyeisi otu ahụ bụ, Prọfesọ Andrew Haruna, kwuru n’okwu ya, sị:

A country that deprives its young ones of education in their mother tongue has denied them access to the deepest and most authentic sources of knowledge. To sever learners from their mother tongue is to impoverish their intellectual and imaginative potential.

Mba nke napụrụ ụmụ ya ndị na-eto eto ohere ịgụ akwụkwọ n’asụsụ nne na nna ha, napụkwara ha ohere ịnweta isi mmalite ihe ọmụma ndị kacha omimi na ndị kacha bụrụ eziokwu. Ịwepụ ndị na-amụ akwụkwọ n’asụsụ nne na nna ha bụ ime ka ikike ha nwere n’ihe gbasara ọgụgụisi na ichepụta echiche daa ogbenye.

Ọ gbakwụnyere, sị:

Protecting our languages and promoting mother-tongue education is a national responsibility and a moral obligation to current and future generations.

Ichekwa asụsụ anyị na ịkwalite agụmakwụkwọ nke a na-eme n’asụsụ nne na nna bụ ọrụ dịịrị mba niile na ọrụ omume anyị ji ụgwọ nye ọgbọ dị ugbu a na ọgbọ ndị na-abịa n’ọdịnihu.

Otù na-ahụ maka Asụsụ Naịjirịa bụ Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) amalitela ịnakọta mbinye aka n’arịrịọ, na-ekwu na mgbanwe e mere n’Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ ahụ ga “etinye n’ihe egwu itinye ụmụ akwụkwọ niile n’agụmakwụkwọ na nha anya ohere agụmakwụkwọ, ọkachasị ụmụaka nọ n’obodo ime obodo na n’obodo ndị ụmụ amaala bi.” Òtù ahụ rịọrọ Ministri Agụmakwụkwọ Gọọmenti Etiti ka ọ “chekwaa ma mee ka Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba (2022) sie ike kama ịgbanwe ya.” N’arịrịọ ahụ, nke mmadụ Nari itoolu ,iri itoolu na itoolu. a kwadoro mbinye aka ha bịanyere aka na ya, òtù ahụ rịọrọ Ministri Agụmakwụkwọ Gọọmenti Etiti ka o mee ihe ndị a:

• Retain and strengthen the National Language Policy (2022) rather than reverse it.
• Fully implement Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) across the federation.
• Provide sustained funding and capacity building for teachers, linguists, and curriculum developers.
• Engage stakeholders and experts in transparent dialogue rather than unilateral reversal.
•  Uphold Nigeria’s educational vision for inclusive and quality learning for all.

Chekwaa ma mee ka Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba bụ National Language Policy (2022) sie ike kama ịgbanwe ya.

Mejuputa n’ụzọ zuru ezu Agụmakwụkwọ Asụsụ Ọtụtụ nke Dabere n’Asụsụ Nne na Nna bụ Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education(MTB-MLE) n’akụkụ niile nke mba ahụ.

Nye ego na-aga n’ihu na mmemme iwulite ikike maka ndị nkuzi, ndị ọkachamara n’asụsụ na ndị na-emepụta usoro ọmụmụ.

Soro ndị nwere oke na ndị ọkachamara nwee mkparịtaụka doro anya kama ime mgbanwe ahụ n’enweghị ndụmọdụ ha.

Kwado ọhụụ agụmakwụkwọ Naịjirịa nke na-achọ ka mmadụ niile nweta agụmakwụkwọ nke gụnyere onye ọbụla ma dịkwa mma.

Na Nọvemba abalị iri abụọ na asatọ 2025, otu ndị ọkà mmụta asụsụ Naịjirịa, òtù dị iche iche na-ahụ maka asụsụ, ndị nwere oke n’ihe gbasara ọdịbendị, na ndị nnọchi anya obodo gbakọtara na Mgbakọ Asụsụ Naịjirịa. Ebumnuche nke mgbakọ ahụ bụ ịtụle ọnọdụ asụsụ ụmụ amaala Naịjirịa ma chọta ụzọ a ga-esi hụ na e weghachiri ma mejuputa Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba nke 2022. Ndị sonyere na mgbakọ ahụ kwuru na:

The National Language Policy 2022 was the product of decades of research, consultations, and evidence from successful bilingual and multilingual education programs within Nigeria and across the world.

Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba nke 2022 sitere na nyocha e mere ruo ọtụtụ iri afọ, ndụmọdụ ndị mmadụ na ndị ọkachamara nyere, yana ihe akaebe sitere na mmemme agụmakwụkwọ nke a na-eji asụsụ abụọ na ọtụtụ asụsụ eme nke ọma n’ime Naịjirịa na n’akụkụ ụwa niile.

Ịkagbu Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba nke 2022 na mberede megidere ihe nchọpụta e nwetara site n’ihe akaebe sayensị, ma na-emebi ebumnuche agụmakwụkwọ Naịjirịa, ịdị n’otu mba, na nlanarị ọdịbendị.

Ndị sonyere na Mgbakọ ahụ rịọrọ gọọmenti ka ọ kagbuo mkpebi e ji kpochapụ Iwu Ọchịchị Asụsụ Mba (NLP) nke 2022 ma weghachite ndokwa ndị na-enye ohere iji asụsụ ụmụ amaala Naịjirịa bụrụ asụsụ a ga-eji akụzi ụmụaka ihe n’oge mmalite agụmakwụkwọ, ozugbo.

Nkwado maka mkpebi ahụ

Ka ọ dị ugbu a, ụfọdụ ndị Naịjirịa na-akwado mgbanwe e mere n’iwu agụmakwụkwọ nke dabere n’asụsụ nne na nna. Maazị Tosin Adeoti, onye na-ekwu okwu n’ihe gbasara ọha mmadụ na onye ode akwụkwọ, kwuru na mkpebi ahụ bụ nke ziri ezi. O kwuru, sị:

A policy designed for countries with one major Indigenous language cannot be pasted onto a country with hundreds… Nigeria does not have the trained teachers, the textbooks, or the infrastructure to deliver primary education in dozens of languages simultaneously.

Iwu e mere maka mba ndị nwere otu nnukwu asụsụ ụmụ amaala enweghị ike itinye ya n’ike n’ike n'ebe mba nwere ọtụtụ narị asụsụ nọ… Naịjirịa enweghị ndị nkuzi a zụrụ nke ọma, akwụkwọ ọgụgụ, ma ọ bụ akụrụngwa zuru oke iji kụziere ụmụ akwụkwọ praịmarị ihe n’ọtụtụ asụsụ iri na abụọ n’otu oge.

Ọ gbakwụnyere, sị:

Supporting the reversal does not mean dismissing our rich linguistic heritage. Nigerian languages deserve preservation and active cultural promotion. But they should be strengthened through:

• Compulsory mother-tongue classes
• Literature and cultural studies
• extracurricular and community-led enrichment
• Translation projects
• Digital language preservation

These are proven and sustainable methods. Making Indigenous languages the medium of instruction in a country with 500 languages is not one of them.

The government’s reversal is not a rejection of Indigenous identity. It is a recognition of Nigerian complexity.

Ịkwado mgbanwe e mere n’iwu ahụ apụtaghị ịjụ ma ọ bụ ileghara nnukwu akụnụba asụsụ anyị anya. Asụsụ Naịjirịa kwesịrị ka e chekwaa ma kwalite ha nke ọma dịka akụkụ dị mkpa nke ọdịbendị anyị. Ma a ga-eme ka ha sie ike site n’ụzọ ndị a:

• Ịmanye ka ụmụ akwụkwọ mụọ asụsụ amaala ha dịka otu n’ime ihe ọmụmụ.
• Ọmụmụ akwụkwọ, akwụkwọ edemede na ọdịbendị.
• Mmemme ndị ọzọ na-abụghị usoro ọmụmụ ụlọ akwụkwọ na mmemme obodo na-ahazi iji kwalite mmụta.
• Ọrụ ntụgharị asụsụ.
• Ichekwa asụsụ n’ụzọ dijitalụ.

Ndị a bụ ụzọ ndị e gosipụtarala na ha na-arụ ọrụ ma nwee ike ịdịgide. Ime ka asụsụ ụmụamaala bụrụ asụsụ a ga-eji akụzi ihe n’otu mba nwere ihe ruru asụsụ narị  ise abụghị otu n’ime ụzọ ndị ahụ.

Mgbanwe gọọmenti mere abụghị ịjụ njirimara ụmụamaala Naịjirịa. Kama, ọ bụ ịghọta na Naịjirịa bụ mba nwere nnukwu mgbagwoju anya n’ihe gbasara asụsụ.

N’oge a na-ede akụkọ a, Ministri Agụmakwụkwọ Gọọmenti Etiti egosibeghị ihe ọbụla na-egosi na ọ ga-agbanwe mkpebi ahụ ọzọ.