Similar Language Policies, Different Management Styles, Different Results: Nigeria and Papua New Guinea in Comparison

Abstract

The paper compares and contrasts language policy, management and practice issues in Nigeria with Papua New Guinea because of both countries’ multilingual nature. Both similarities and dissimilarities are found. Papua New Guinea, sometimes referred to as PNG, is found to manage the plurilingual situation much better than Nigeria. The Papua New Guinean government is found to have practised its language policy implementation in accordance with the principles of Language Management Theory from the field of Linguistics and Human Relations Theory from the field of Management while its Nigerian counterpart seemed to have been completely oblivious of such theories in its approach to language policy formulation and implementation, hence the great difference in success levels. The implications of the findings for Nigeria are also considered to point the way forward for the nation.