Consequences of Boko Haram Insurgency on Language Learning and Intergenerational Transmission

Abstract

This study investigates the consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency on language learning and intergenerational language transmission in north-eastern Nigeria. While much scholarly attention has been given to the group’s ideological motivations and its impact on security and education, limited research exists on the linguistic and cultural dimensions of this protracted conflict. Drawing on Fishman’s Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (GIDS) and UNESCO’s framework for language vitality, the study explores how school closures, displacement, and family fragmentation have disrupted both formal and informal language acquisition among affected populations. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 120 questionnaire respondents, 15 in-depth interviews, and six focus group discussions across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. The findings reveal that the insurgency has not only dismantled educational infrastructure but also significantly weakened the family-based transmission of indigenous languages. In internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, dominant regional languages such as Hausa and English are replacing minority mother tongues, particularly among children. The linguistic environment in these camps and host communities fosters passive bilingualism or outright language shift, putting many indigenous languages at risk of endangerment. The study concludes that Boko Haram’s campaign—although ideologically opposed to Western education—has ironically accelerated the decline of indigenous linguistic and cultural heritage. Language loss in this context is both a consequence of violence and a form of cultural disenfranchisement. The paper recommends targeted post-conflict education policies that prioritize mother-tongue instruction, support linguistic resilience in displacement settings, and address the broader structural causes of insurgency. Preserving language transmission is positioned not merely as a cultural concern, but as an essential element of post-conflict recovery and national identity.