Biliteracy and the Attainment of Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nigeria

Although Nigeria understands the indispensability of English in its human and material development, sustainable development has continued to elude it because of its failure to develop bi-literacy in English and its Mother Tongues (MTs). The products of its school system cannot, with fluency, read and write in both. Examining why inter/intra national initiatives to enhance literacy in Nigeria have failed, this paper posits that, unless bi-literacy in English and the Nigerian MTs is promoted, critical and creative thinking as well as effective and efficient communication will continue to elude the products of Nigerian school system and its adult population who may want to benefit from its adult literacy enhancement program. It suggests ways of promoting bi-literacy in Nigeria so that Nigerians can have the literacy empowerment for promoting information dissemination, good governance, effective resource renewal and management and sound promotion of national economic policies without which sustainable development will continue to elude Nigeria. Bi-literacy in a multilingual Nigeria can enhance sustainable development if there is the political will to tap on language resources as a catalyst for attaining development.