The Kano State Government reportedly plans to make Hausa language the main language for teaching in primary and secondary schools across the state. The idea behind the policy is to help students understand better, since most people in Kano speak Hausa and are struggling to learn subjects in English due to many factors associated with their inability to speak English. This policy could facilitate learning and make a dent in the high number of out-of-school children. Students no longer have to grapple with English while trying to learn basic ideas. This looks good from the policy point of view.
However, there is a big problem that could have long-term implications for the future of education in our dear state if the policy fails to materialize strategically.
People tends to compare the use of mother tongue to other countries such countries like China, Japan, India and other developing countries where they use their local languages in schools. The irony is we fail to grasp the fact that those countries usually have dominant languages that can unify the countries. In contrast, Kano is just one out of 36 states in Nigeria, a country with over 200 languages. Nigeria is uniquely different from these countries.
Nigeria’s job market runs mostly in English. This includes government jobs, universities, business, and tech sectors. If students are taught only in Hausa, they would likely struggle to fit in after finishing school. They might not get good jobs without good communication skills. This could worsen inequality and sabotage our efforts to massively educate our people who are left behind when it comes to school enrollment and job opportunities. Do we expect Kano to lose access to the federal job opportunities and many other life-changing opportunities that only English can provide?
The Nigerian school system is controlled from the center. National exams such as NECO, WAEC, and JAMB are all conducted in English. These are run by the federal government. Kano cannot conduct its own exams. In fact, it has to make do with what the federal government provides. If schools teach in Hausa, students may find it even harder to pass these English tests and get admitted into universities. Education is shared between states and the federal government, but national exams are conducted by federal.
Moreover, another issue is teachers. Right now, there are not enough teachers in Kano who can teach subjects like science, math, or social studies well in Hausa. We don’t know when this policy will start, but training teachers will take time.
Textbooks are also a worry. Most books for hard subjects like chemistry, ICT, or physics are in English. Hausa versions are not fully developed. There have been some good efforts, like from the Centre for Research in Nigerian Languages, Translation, and Folklore at Bayero University, Kano. They made eight science books in Hausa for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools. These books are great, but they work best as extra help to explain English textbooks, not as the main ones.
There are social problems too. Kano has people who don’t speak Hausa as their first language. Making Hausa the only teaching language could upset them. It might look like forcing Hausa on everyone, which could cause fights between ethnic groups. Nigeria uses English to bring people together from different regions. This policy might split us more.
Finally, the vast majority of the world population speak English. Global jobs, online tools, and higher studies use English a lot. Kano students might be left behind. Some say AI can translate things, but that’s not the same as learning in a language you need for the world. Even big countries with one language find it hard to translate all science words. Nigeria would struggle more.
In the end, using Hausa in schools might help at first, but it could hurt students in the long run. Nigeria needs a plan that mixes local languages with English to prepare kids for the country and the world. Kano should think again before going ahead.
It is against this backdrop that I call on the state government to have a rethink and ensure the proposed law does not sabotage our advocacy to ensure Kano State edges forward with its educational reforms. What we need in Kano is real progress not distraction.
Faisal Suleiman writes from Gombe.
