In Nigerian schools, the English language is the medium of expression and instruction from primary school to secondary school and tertiary institutions. As the official language of Nigerians, English occupies a prominent place in the hearts of the people. As a multi-ethnic country, each ethnic group in Nigeria identifies with one or more local languages, but due to the need to unite these ethnic groups without generating ethnic jealousy or disputes, English became an official but second language in the country. .

The dominance of English in the major domains of the country, such as the education sector, the courts of law, the media, politics, business, and interactions, has in fact left many people confused and impeded in the development of their ethnic languages. Today in Nigeria, a credit in English is one of the prerequisites for admission to a university or other institutions of learning. To ensure admission, it remains the only language of instruction used to teach other subjects except languages. No other Nigerian language is afforded the status symbol that English enjoys. That is why a proficient user of the English language is generally respected in Nigeria.

As a language of interaction and a parameter for judging someone’s edutainment, the English language has managed to push all other Nigerian languages ​​to the back door.

In my high school days, I attended a Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) exhibition which was held at the school premises. In the reference room, the venue for the exhibition, there were books on display for sale. Unknown to me, the principal of my school was sitting behind the display table. When I approached the book seller, I asked for the price lists of the books displayed using my local Igbo language. My choice of the local language caught the attention of the director, who looked at me with disappointment. His disgust at my choice of language sent me out of the hall leaving the bookseller gaping, book in hand.

The next morning, I was the subject of his usual morning assembly speech. However, in my final exams, I shook it up further by achieving only a Pass in English language while having Distinction in my local Igbo language. Despite this great feat, I was unable to achieve anything with the high score in my local language until I passed English correctly in another exam.

In addition to helping to kill people’s development and interest in their local languages, English also dominates the language of modern medicine, technology, academic publishing, and the Internet. Although Nigerians today have coined so many words from their local languages ​​and integrated them into their spoken English to achieve a deeper level of communication, it must be understood that our local languages ​​appeal more deeply to our feelings or emotions. than the English language. Our local languages ​​help arouse emotions such as sorrow, joy, sadness, etc., and also make us more sensitive, for example, in times of war, whether to fight or to make peace.

When we begin to accept our local languages ​​as prerequisites for admission to our learning institutions or as a means of instruction in classrooms, it will help, not only for easier student comprehension, but also for the development of these languages. There is an adage that says: “the hood does not make the monk”. Nigerians should know that mastering the English language can never remove our Nigerian identity, it will never make us English!