Are West African states shifting from colonial languages?
In recent years, some West African states have experienced significant changes in their language policies, representing a shift from colonial languages and their impact on education, governance, and cultural identity.
The region is not only defined by what was drawn as colonial boundaries from the European partition of Africa during the Berlin Conference of 1884. Still, it has been influenced by the enduring presence of colonial languages, which have historically held prestige and served as the primary languages of education, governance, and international communication.
Nigeria's language policy
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, recently approved a new National Language Policy, which mandates the use of local languages as the language of instruction for primary school pupils and removes English from the first six years of learning, local media Premium Times Nigeria reported.
This policy aims to promote and enhance the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages, reflecting a significant departure from the previous emphasis on English as the primary medium of instruction.
“One of the highlights is that the government has agreed now that henceforth, instruction in primary schools; the first six years of learning will be in the mother tongue… we have 625 languages at the last count and the objective of this policy is to promote, and enhance the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages,” Nigerian minister of education told reporters in 2022.
Mali’s and Burkina Faso's language shift
Mali has also made a significant shift in its language policy. In 2023, Mali's new constitution moved French which has been the country’s official language since 1960 to a working one.
Burkina Faso in 2023 also decided to revise its Constitution, enshrining local languages as official languages in place of French, which is relegated to the rank of a working language.
“The writing of a new Constitution is a question of political, economic and cultural sovereignty. No one can truly flourish from the concepts of others,” Prime Minister of Burkina Faso Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla told reporters.
Further shifts and possible implications
With Niger’s military cooperation with its coloniser France reaching an impasse, this could represent a possible shift in the language policies of the West African nation.
The military junta revoked the diplomatic immunity and credentials of the French ambassador to Niger in August 2023.
“We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they don’t want to fight terrorism anymore,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement announcing the end of French military presence in Niger.
The current government status of the country draws parallels to fellow West African states Mali and Burkina Faso, with all three states under military rule and former colonies of France.
The growing trend of some West African states prioritising local languages raises the broader question; Does this impact Africa’s international economic integration?
