Paper short abstract:

This study interrogates the comparative dynamics of language of instruction in Basic education level as established in the educational policies in Nigeria and Kenya, and suggest ways of reviewing utilising these policies for African development.

Paper long abstract:

Issues around educational policies in Africa are considered germaine to knowledge development and transfer in the continent. These policies are designed according to specific national educational reality and factors. Such realities, which are also specified and more interesting is the multiplicity outlook of the continent, which necessitates intentionalities in the structure of education policy. Apart from the fact that national policies on education are official documents designed to guide the educational trajectory of a nation, they also seek to speak to the concept of achieving the SDG-4 agenda in the two West and East African countries.

Therefore, this study seeks to interrogate and compare the language components of the national policy on education of Nigeria and Kenya. In this research, I compare the language aspect of the national policies on basic education in Nigeria and kenya, and examine how these policies have been designed to contribute to cognitive and research development in Africa. The study further seeks to juxtapose the methodologies of language policies in education, with the real-life language-use situation in basic education platforms in both nations. Mixed research methodologies is employed to understand the existing langauge situation in basic level of education, particularly in the first nine years of a child’s education. It is believed that this research, through comparative discourse, will provide suggestions on appropriate review of existing policies and implementaion agenda in the countries.

Keywords: Language of Instruction, Basic Education, Language Multiplicity, Policies,

Implementation