The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Denys Gauer, said his country had provided 500,000 Euros (about N64 million) to the Federal Government for the training of French language teachers.
Gauer said, Wednesday, in Abuja that the fund was released to the Federal Ministry of Education.
He said that the training programme would run from 2015 to 2018.
“We are supporting the Ministry of Education in Nigeria. A few weeks ago, I signed the project which will cost us 500,000 Euros with the Ministry of Education. This is to support the training of teachers of French language here in Nigeria and also in France. So, this is one part of our cooperation.
“We also have certain number of scholarships; some of them are paid by French companies like Total while some are paid by the French embassy,’’ he said.
Gauer said that the embassy was also partnering some states in the country to promote the teaching of French language through joint financing.
“We are also studying the possibilities for scholarships which could be co-financed partly by the French government and partly by the Nigerian states.
“This is to encourage the states to send young Nigerian students to study in France,” he explained.
The envoy said that French language was important to Nigeria as all of Nigeria’s neighbours were Francophone.
He disclosed that authorities in Nigeria had shown interest in the teaching of French language and were collaborating with the embassy.
“French language is very important for Nigeria because all your neighbours are Francophone. Nigeria has, in Abuja, the seat of ECOWAS, and ECOWAS as an organisation, is bi-lingual.
“So, Nigerian elites – political, administrative and also the private sector must be bi-lingual if you want to cooperate with your neighbours and to expand your trade relations and cooperation.
“That is why we are supporting very much the teaching of French language in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He stated that the training of the teachers would be at the French Institute in Abuja and at the 10 French Alliances across the country.
