FRENCH STUDIES IN NIGERIAN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES: A CASE STUDY OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY

Abstract

In Nigeria there is this restricted view that ‘French’ as a discipline has to do with just the study of French language as a means of communication. Consequently, there is usually low subscription with regard to the study of French in Nigerian Private Universities, where the school fee is relatively high. In the Federal and State Universities where the fee is low and subscription higher, most of the candidates that take up French as a programme of study, do so out of desperation. They resort to French just to be in the university. The choice of this topic is therefore largely out of a desire to contextualize ‘French studies’ as a discipline, highlight its status and challenges at Covenant University, sensitize the Nigerian public on the necessity of French studies in Nigeria by highlighting its relevance to the nation for a global impact. Furthermore, as Covenant University is poised to raise a new generation of leaders and with its present continuous drive for Innovation, Impact and Internationalization, this paper intends to disabuse the minds of Nigerians of the notion that French is merely the study of the language as a means of communication. We conclude by proffering solutions to the challenges, proposing the way forward and showing the benefits that accrue to students that study French as a discipline.