The State Of English Language Teaching and Learning in Nigeria and Namibia: Implications for National Development Abstract: More and more young people, in developing countries where English is used as the main language of instruction, are finding it difficult to access tertiary education because of poor performance in the English Language at the end of their secondary schooling. In this paper, I argue for the evaluation of English Language Teaching and Learning in Nigeria and Namibia to support future national development. These countries were chosen because they provide contrasting examples of the state of the English language, one a former British colony with a strong English language heritage, the other a relatively recent adopter of the language as the sole official language. Both countries however have serious problems with English Language Teaching and Learning, impacting negatively on the ability of young people to access and succeed in tertiary education. The methodology will first explain the causes of the declining standard of English, secondly provide a critical overview of the teaching and learning of English as the language of instruction and lastly highlight the implications of this disturbing trend on national development. Keywords: English Language Teaching, Nigeria, Namibia, National Development. Dr. Josephine Olufunmilyo Ola-Busari Department of Communication Polytechnic of Namibia ISSN 2319-9725