The Federal Government’s decision to retain English as the medium of instruction has stirred plenty of reactions, but it is a debate that often misses the real issue. Nigeria is trying to catch up in a world shaped by artificial intelligence, advanced computing, robotics, precision science, global finance, and fast moving research networks. This is not the era to pretend that the language of modern science lives anywhere outside English and a handful of other global languages that dominate research and innovation.
The reality is simple. Our local languages remain rich, expressive, and essential to our identity, but they do not yet carry the scientific depth needed to teach aerodynamics, biotechnology, software engineering, semiconductor physics, or the mathematics that keeps the digital economy running. That gap is not a failure of culture; it is a reflection of the stage we occupy in the global knowledge economy.
Supporters of the earlier National Language Policy often point to China, Japan, or South Korea as examples. But those nations spent centuries expanding their languages through literature, research institutions, scientific translation, and strong state investment in human capital. Nigeria, on the other hand, is still grappling with poor funding, low research output, teacher shortages, and widespread learning crises. In such conditions, the priority must be catching up, not trying to retrofit entire scientific fields into languages that are still building their academic vocabulary.
There is also a contradiction that few want to address. Many parents who insist on mother tongue instruction do not teach the same languages at home. Language survival begins within families, through stories, music, everyday communication and community pride. It cannot suddenly begin at the science laboratory or in the coding class.
The Ministry of Education has rightly emphasised data instead of sentiment. Performance in WAEC, NECO and JAMB showed that students taught largely through indigenous languages struggled the most, especially in English comprehension and STEM subjects. Regions that pushed the mother tongue model most aggressively recorded some of the highest failure rates. This is not comfortable to hear, but policy must respond to evidence, not nostalgia.
Beyond the classroom, the argument is even clearer. English remains the language of global science, aviation, maritime navigation, diplomacy, international trade, academic research, artificial intelligence, and the largest technology companies in the world. The global coding ecosystem runs on English. Scientific journals use English. The internet’s knowledge base is overwhelmingly in English. The modern economy, for better or worse, is built around it.
Nigeria does not yet have a university ranked in the global top one thousand. Research funding is low. Many schools lack laboratories, trained teachers, or updated curricula. These are the real emergencies. Our challenge is not whether children learn arithmetic in Igbo or Yoruba; it is that too many children finish school unable to read, write, or compute at the level needed to compete globally.
This moment calls for investment in STEM, digital literacy, strong teacher training, modern curricula, and the integration of artificial intelligence tools into learning. It calls for proper laboratories, functioning technical colleges, and a serious national effort to raise learning outcomes. These are the foundations of a competitive education system, not a sentimental argument over instructional languages.
None of this means indigenous languages should fade. They should be preserved in literature, culture, family spaces and formal study. Government can support documentation, content development and local cultural initiatives. But we must not confuse cultural pride with educational strategy.
The decision to retain English is therefore not a rejection of heritage. It is a recognition of where Nigeria stands in a rapidly changing world. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will not slow down for anyone. Children must be equipped for the world as it is, not the world we wish it were.
This is a difficult choice for the government, but it is the right one. If Nigeria hopes to bridge the wide gap between the Global North and South, this is the practical path. The future belongs to children who can compete in science, engineering, global business, and artificial intelligence. English, like it or not, remains the strongest tool available for that journey.
Our children deserve an education shaped by evidence, not emotion. The world is moving. Nigeria must move with it.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the editorial position of The Southern African Times.
Sonny Iroche is a Nigerian financial and governance analyst. He is CEO of GenAI Learning Concepts Ltd, a Senior Academic Fellow at the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, a Post Graduate in Artificial Intelligence from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, and a member of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee of Nigeria. He also serves on the UNESCO Technical Working Group on AI Readiness Assessment.
