The French embassy in Nigeria is taking significant steps to foster collaboration with tertiary institutions across the nation to enhance opportunities associated with learning the French language. During a seminar titled ‘French Up Your Career,’ held at the Alliance Française in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Consul General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier, highlighted the numerous benefits that proficiency in French can offer.
Favier remarked that French is not just a language but a gateway that opens doors to various career paths. He pointed out that it is one of the official languages of the United Nations, European Union, and African Union. “You will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,” he explained to the attendees. He emphasized that for students in Nigeria, learning French offers newfound opportunities, whether in diplomacy, international relations, development, translation, or even journalism.
Addressing the students, Favier noted that companies in technology are increasingly searching for bilingual professionals capable of assisting with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions. “The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors,” he continued, “We are also providing our support and expertise in training teachers and optimizing university programs.” This initiative aims to create job opportunities while empowering youth by making educational training more effective and practical.
On the sidelines of the event, the Director of Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs. Marina Lacal, explained that the conference serves to inform French learners about the various opportunities associated with mastering the language. She stated, “This year, we decided to organize this conference to understand how French can help all Nigerians in their career. We have human resources who will tell us how they are implementing French in their companies and how French is useful.”
The seminar was enriched by the participation of notable figures, including Associate Professor Dr. Gloria Okon from the University of Calabar, who urged the National Universities Commission to reassess the curriculum concerning French studies. She expressed concerns regarding the current academic provisions, stating, “French, for a specific purpose, is not general French. It’s French tailored towards the needs of other fields such as medicine, law, computer science, business management, and tourism.” Okon revealed that French studies had been dropped from the core curriculum updates that the Commission had requested, advocating for the inclusion of French language courses geared toward specific career fields.
Dr. Okon voiced concern, stating, “In the latest core curriculum and minimum academic standards that the National Universities Commission that we were asked to adopt, we realized that French had been dropped from the curriculum.” She asserted that it was a grave oversight, reinforcing her belief that greater awareness of specialized French applications is necessary.
Adding to the discussion, Magaly Losange, the French language corporate attaché from the French Embassy, stressed the importance of adopting a more modern and effective approach to teaching French. She criticized traditional educational methods, saying, “A lot of schools are still teaching French in a very traditional, old school way. You’ll learn all the grammar, you’ll learn so many words but at the end of the day, you cannot put these words together to be able to communicate.” Losange pointed out the embassy's efforts to support educational institutions in making French language learning more interactive and relevant to students' needs.
“One of the things that the French embassy does is to support schools, universities, and institutions who are trying to make a difference,” she added. “Most teachers will ask us for support to get ICT equipment so they can actually create a more interactive class and ensure that students are exposed more regularly to the language.”
The event also featured various performances, including music and dance by students from Rivers State University, University of Port Harcourt, and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, celebrating the French language and culture.
As the French embassy continues its efforts to promote language learning in Nigeria, the partnership with local educational institutions aims not only to foster bilingualism but also to create a workforce equipped for the demands of the global job market.
