Arabic Language Policy in Yobe State Government Secondary Schools: Implementation and Compliance Assessment

State-level language-in-education policies govern the place of Arabic in Yobe State secondary schools, yet the gap between formal policy mandates and actual classroom implementation remains a persistent challenge across many northern Nigerian states. This study assesses the implementation and compliance status of Yobe State's Arabic language education policy in government secondary schools, examining the extent to which policy provisions regarding Arabic as a taught subject, examination subject, and optional medium of instruction are being enacted across different school types and locations. Using a policy implementation evaluation framework, the research conducts structured interviews with 30 school principals, Arabic teachers, and local government education secretaries in Damaturu, Nguru, and Geidam. Compliance assessment instruments developed from the policy text are applied through documentation review and classroom observation visits to 25 schools. The study finds significant compliance gaps particularly in rural schools, where Arabic subject teaching is frequently suspended due to teacher shortage, and in examination take-up, where low student Arabic examination registration rates indicate systemic policy under-implementation. Resource constraints, inadequate policy dissemination, and weak monitoring mechanisms are identified as primary compliance barriers. The study recommends the establishment of a dedicated Arabic education compliance monitoring unit within the Yobe State Ministry of Education. Keywords: Language policy, Arabic education, policy implementation, Yobe State, secondary schools.