FG Declares French Compulsory For All Students, Plans To Make It Nigeria’s Second Official Language

The Federal Government has commenced plans to make compulsory French for students from primary to tertiary institutions, it has emerged.

It said it will embark on intensive training of more French teachers in its bid to make it the nation’s second official language.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, stated these in Abuja yesterday when the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gaver, paid him a courtesy call.

Anwukah said: “French language is a matter of necessity. We have to because we have Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin Republic, Togo Guinea, and Ivory Coast surrounding us and so there is need for us to get more Nigerians to become proficient in French language.

“This is good for the continent; it is good for us as a nation. It is good for our brothers at the borders because it will enable us to communicate with them effectively.”

Speaking to the envoy on the need to have more French teachers, the minister said:

“We plead that you consider it a lot more expedient in helping us train our teachers in French both for the primary school level, secondary level and tertiary level.

“So far, we have demonstrated the enthusiasm to foster the teaching and learning of French in Nigerian schools which are the tertiary, basic and secondary levels and our main concern now is the training of sufficient number of French teachers within our school system.”