EKWE JONAL

Despite Nigeria’s rich linguistic heritage, the country's legal framework and language policies have not effectively safeguarded the linguistic rights of its citizens. This study explored the intersection of language rights, policy, and practice within the framework of Nigerian law. It further investigated the implications of the dominance of English as the official language, often at the expense of indigenous languages, on cultural preservation and social inclusion. The aim is to provide a comprehensive analysis of languagerights in Nigerian law, focusing on the legal, sociopolitical, and educational dimensions of language policy and practice. The theoretical framework that guided this study is anchored on the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) by Halliday. As a descriptive and qualitative study, it relied on secondary data to critically examine legal frameworks, policy implementation, and practical challenges in language rights enforcement. Through a critical examination of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions, policy documents, and practical implementations, the study revealed significant gaps between policy formulation and execution, particularly in promoting multilingualism and safeguarding the linguistic rights of minority groups. The study also highlighted the indigenous insufficient languages into integration education of and governance, limiting opportunities for linguistic justice and national cohesion. It concludes that the effective promotion of multilingualism and language rights are vital for achieving national unity and inclusive development in Nigeria. It recommends revising existing language policies to prioritise the equitable inclusion of indigenous languages, strengthening the implementation of mothertongue education, and fostering public awareness of the benefits of linguistic diversity.

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