Beyond English: Integrating Nigeria’s Indigenous Languages into Development

Babajide E. Ikuyajolu highlights a hidden tension in Nigeria’s multilingual society: while everyday life thrives on over 500 native languages, formal education and systems rely heavily on English. This mismatch sidelines local knowledge and risks distancing communities from structures that preserve cultural and technical expertise. He illustrates how artisans, farmers, and fishermen deploy rich Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba vocabularies to solve complex problems and pass down skills. Yet classrooms, policy discussions, and digital platforms favor English, creating parallel tracks for living and learning that rarely meet. Ikuyajolu calls for gradual integration: translated textbooks, localized interfaces, and bilingual instruction that reinforce both English and indigenous languages. By developing local languages alongside global ones, Nigeria can foster more inclusive, sustainable development that honors its linguistic heritage.

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