Fact-Check: Has The Nigerian Government Approved Chinese Language For Senior Secondary Schools?
By Odunuga Yusuf
Recently, rumors circulated on social media claiming that the Nigerian Government has officially approved the introduction of Mandarin, the Chinese language, into the Senior Secondary School curriculum.
According to The Guardian, several African nations, including South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, have already integrated Mandarin into their educational systems. Reports suggested that the language would be taught in Nigerian schools starting from the 2025/2026 academic session, following a review of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum conducted by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
Background:
The Federal Government, through NERDC, has recently released approved subject offerings for the revised Basic (Primary 1 to JSS 3) and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum. The new curriculum aims to streamline subjects to better prepare students for future challenges.
The recently published 17-page document titled ‘Revised 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum Implementation Strategy’ outlined a phased implementation of the new curriculum, commencing with Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS 1, and SS 1.
Amid concerns about the execution of this policy, reports emerged shortly after the school year began, claiming that Mandarin had been officially included in the list of foreign languages for senior secondary education in Nigeria.
The announcement was allegedly made by Dr. Danlami Hayyo, Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory, during the inauguration of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja. He stated, “I would like to inform you that in the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language has been selected as one of the international languages to be offered in senior secondary schools. Chinese will be taught alongside French and Arabic as part of the foreign language options for Nigerian students.”
Verification:
However, upon reviewing the 17-page policy document,The Guardian found that Mandarin was not listed among the subjects designated for Nigerian students. Instead, the revised curriculum combines Nigerian History, Civic Education, and Social Studies at the senior secondary level, reinstates Nigerian History as a compulsory subject from Primary 1 to JSS 3, and includes only French and Arabic for students in the Humanities track.
In conclusion, the Chinese language is not part of the subjects that Nigerian students are expected to study under the new curriculum.
