French Embassy in Nigeria, has said it will spend six thousand euros to encourage french speaking under a two year project targeting journalists and teachers and selected institutions in Nigeria
French ambassador to Nigeria, French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blattmann, made this known at the launch of a two year project, Solidarity Fund for Innovative Project, (FSPI), in Abuja.
She explains that the project seeks to encourage more Nigerians to learn French skills and speak French.
Under the solidarity funds for innovative projects, (Fonds de Solidarité pour les Projets Innovants), FSPI, the French embassy will carry out rapid impact and high visibility innovations actions beneficial to the local population.
She said, “French language choice has proven to be very beneficial for young Nigerians given the academic and professional opportunities offered to those who master the language and the country’s proximity to French speaking land.”
The Ambassador adds that 12 journalist who are presenters from five radio stations, radio Maria Abuja, Armed Forces radio Abuja, I-Flier radio Ibadan, Spirit of Nigeria radio Lagos and University Campus radio in Badagry, will be trained under the program as well.
She listed some constraints and obstacles to learning to speak and write the language in especially secondary schools to include lack of textbooks, limited access to technological equipment, low number of hours devoted to the teaching of French per week and, limited master of French by teachers as well as teachers who struggle to teach effectively in overcrowded classrooms among others.
According to Blattman, “Some teachers attest to a limited mastery of French and most of them have not been trained in the latest pedagogical approaches of French.”
The Ambassador said the FSPI project will make it possible to deploy a program for 50 schools in Five states in which local partners that have clearly expressed desire to intensify educational cooperation.
The schools she said are located in Enugu, Plateau, Lagos, Oyo states and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).
Also, the schools that will benefit directly from the pilot initiative involving teacher trainings in France and Nigeria will be given books and computer equipment.
“Furthermore, educational programmes will be created to allow adults and children practice.”
Five thousand junior secondary school pupils between ages 11 to 25 along with 108 teachers from 50 schools in the mentioned states will be captured under the pilot project.