© 1992 by Oxford University Press
Articles |
150 years on: English in the Nigerian school system—past, present and future
Sylvester Omodiaogbe has been a lecturer in a college of education for eight years. He teaches English phonology, grammar, and methodology. His special interest is English as an International Language.
This article examines the place of English in the Nigerian education system. It sees the introduction of English as a product of evangelical expediency, in which missionaries passed the language baton to colonial administrators until English became the official language of the country. It is noted that even after political independence from the colonial masters, English still occupies pride of place in Nigeria, especially in the formal school system. The fact that Nigeria is a multilingual country with as many as 450 languages is discussed; and the implications of and reactions to the constitutional and National Policy on Education emphasis on three major Nigerian languages are examined. I suggest that in spite of the inchoate, half-hearted attention being given to indigenous languages in the school system nowadays, the prospects for English in the school system and in Nigerian society are still very bright. But to survive, English must submit itself to some modifications, adapting to the Nigerian linguistic environment.