A few days ago, the Internet was abuzz with news that the Nigerian Government had approved the introduction of the Chinese language, Mandarin, into the country’s Senior Secondary School curriculum.

The Guardian reports that several African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, have already incorporated Mandarin into their school curricula.

According to media reports, Mandarin will be taught in the 2025/2026 academic session in Nigeria.
The reports noted that the move comes after a review of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

Background

Recall that the Federal Government, through the NERDC, recently released approved subject offerings for the revised Basic (Primary 1 to JSS 3) and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum.

According to the Council, the new curriculum, which aims to streamline subjects, is focused on making learners “future-ready” and adaptable to a changing world.

The 17-page document, titled ‘Revised 9-year basic education curriculum implementation strategy’, revealed that the new curriculum, which takes effect in this new academic session, will be implemented at the start of each three-year cycle, beginning with Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS1, and SS1.

Hardly had schools reopened across the country, amid uncertainty over the policy’s implementation, when reports emerged that Mandarin had been officially added to the list of foreign languages to be taught in senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

The announcement was reportedly made on Tuesday by the Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, during the inauguration of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja.

“May I inform you that in the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language has been selected as one of the international languages to offer in senior secondary schools.

“Chinese will now be offered alongside French and Arabic as part of the foreign language options available to Nigerian students,” Dr. Hayyo stated.

Verification

The Guardian carefully reviewed the 17-page policy document and discovered that Mandarin, the Chinese language, was not included among the subjects Nigerian students are expected to study.

Instead, the new curriculum merged Nigerian History, Civic Education, and Social Studies at the senior secondary level, reintroduced Nigerian History as a compulsory subject from Primary 1 to JSS 3, and included French and Arabic languages for students studying Humanities in senior secondary schools.

Verdict: False

The Chinese language is not included among the subjects Nigerian students are expected to study.