Is English No Longer Language of Instruction in Schools in Kano, Other Northern States? Fact Emerges

• A well-followed Facebook user, Chukwudi Ufondu, claimed that northern governors have rejected English as the language of instruction in schools in their zone
• With an estimated 53% of Nigerians speaking a form of English, Nigeria is one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world
• Although one of the Northern governors recently urged the consideration of Hausa as a medium of instruction in schools, Legit.ng reports that it only represents the governor's view

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 4 years of experience in fact-checking.

Minna, Niger state - A verified social media user, Chukwudi Ufondu, posted on his Facebook page that northern governors rejected English language as an instruction medium in schools in the region.

Some of the Nigerian states that make up the north include Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Jigawa, and Zamfara.

The post, published on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 8:19 am elicited several reactions.

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The poster, @ChukwudiUfondu, wrote:

“Northern governors reject English language as an instruction medium in Northern schools!”

Legit.ng reports that many social media users who saw the post believed it.

@EbeleOnwuagha, queried:

“How will they write WAEC and JAMB?”

For @OmeniJem, the internet user commented:

“But they want everyone to be speaking Hausa before they employ them.”

Another user, @Et GoodluckOghenehro, said:

“This is an absolute aberration of the so-called loyalty of these governors to this nation. The official language of this country is English, so why should they even devise such an ill-conceived concept and law?”

Against this backdrop, Legit.ng decided to fact-check the claim.

Northern governors have not rejected English in schools

There is no official statement or policy that indicates that northern governors have collectively rejected English as the language of school instruction.

While in January 2025, Governor Umar Bago of Niger state called for the adoption of Hausa as the medium of instruction in primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria to boost northern enrolment, there is no evidence of a collective decision by all Northern governors to reject English as the language of instruction in schools in Nigeria.

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The claim is, therefore, false.

Northern state shuts all public secondary schools

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Niger state government ordered the closure of all public secondary schools in the state following the abduction of some students and the mounting security challenges.

This decision was reached after a meeting between the state government and officials from various security agencies.

Authorities explained that the two-week closure was necessary to give relevant security agencies the time and opportunity to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment.

Source: Legit.ng