Fact Check: Has Nigeria Approved Mandarin for Senior Secondary School Curriculum? Here’s the Truth
Story written by Okafor Joseph September 18,2025
The reports alleged that the decision followed a review of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). The claims also suggested that Nigeria was joining other African countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, where Mandarin has already been introduced into schools.
What Was Reported
According to the circulating reports, the supposed policy shift was announced by Dr. Danlami Hayyo, Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory, during the launch of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja. Dr. Hayyo was quoted as saying that Mandarin would now be taught alongside French and Arabic as part of Nigeria’s foreign language offerings.
The Facts
A review of the 17-page NERDC document titled “Revised 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum Implementation Strategy” reveals that Mandarin is not listed among the approved subjects for secondary school students in Nigeria.
Instead, the new curriculum:
- Streamlined subject offerings to make learning more efficient.
- Reintroduced Nigerian History as a compulsory subject from Primary 1 to JSS 3.
- Combined Civic Education, Social Studies, and Nigerian History into a single subject at the senior secondary level.
- Retained only French and Arabic as the foreign language options for students in the Humanities track.
Verdict: False
The claim that the Federal Government has officially approved Mandarin for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria is false. While discussions about strengthening Nigeria-China educational cooperation exist, Mandarin is not part of the revised national curriculum released by the NERDC.
