The Government of France says it is pumping 600,000 euro into Nigeria to make French the second language in Nigeria.
The funds will be spent to encourage French teachers in the country to propagate the language, through a special fund, called the Solidarity Funds for Innovative Projects, according to the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuella Blatmann.
The French envoy said secondary school teachers will be encouraged to create a network of media platforms using the French language, adding that 50 secondary schools in the country will be used as a pilotage.
According to her, “The Embassy of France in Nigeria officially sets in motion a new project, titled: “French in Nigeria, language of communication and capacity building,” financed by a special fund called “Solidarity Funds for innovative Projects” (FSPI in French) to the sum of €600,000.
“This project, with the slogan: ‘À toi le micro, Naija’ (the mic is yours, Naija), aims at positioning French as a real language of communication in secondary schools and in the Nigerian public space, by supporting the training of secondary school teachers in Nigeria and creating a network of media platforms using the French language.
“In line with the foregoing, this FSPI project will make it possible to deploy a programme for 50 schools in five states in which local partners have clearly expressed the desire to intensify educational cooperation actions: Enugu, Plateau, Oyo, FCT and Lagos.
“These schools will benefit directly from a pilot initiative involving teacher trainings in France and in Nigeria, and the purchase of books and computer equipment.
“A link will also be created with five radio stations (FM and web radio) that already broadcast content in French in Nigeria and who will collaborate with the pilot schools.
“Furthermore, educational programmes will be created to allow adults and children to practise. French, differently, and podcast creation workshops offered in schools will allow learners to develop computer and transversal skills.
“This fund will also make it possible to create a modern resource centre within the Nigerian French Language Village in Badagry and to make this inter-university facility a model center for teacher training.
“A partnership will also be developed with the University of Caen, a French institution specialising in the teaching programme of French as a foreign language.”
English is the official second language in Nigeria.
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