Education Ordinance of 1882
The Portuguese introduced Christianity to southern Nigeria as early as the 15th century. Over time, missionaries established education systems which required English language as a core subject. The Education Ordinance of 1882, which was updated in 1887, 1896, and frequently thereafter, provided capitation pass grants to schools in each subject including English [Daniel-Kalio, 2018]. Students could also receive certification of educational achievement by passing examinations administered in English. This solidified English’s dominance as the gateway to education. The Education Ordinance of 1887, however, recognized indigenous Nigerian languages in schools in response to nationalist sentiments that English was the language of the oppressor [Adetugbo, 1978]. English remains the language of Nigerian universities.