JONAED

Nigeria is an anglophone country surrounded by francophone nations. This is a consequence of colonization of African countries by the British and the French governments who shared most of the West African countries in the ‘scramble for Africa’. The official language spoken in each African nation today, has its origin in the language of the colonial masters. The colonists introduced their languages to serve as a means of communication and as a medium of propagation of their religion. Language plays a dual role in a formal education setting: as a school subject and as a medium of instruction. In this paper, French language as a school subject is presented by showing its values in the different domains of human endeavours, namely: communication, commerce, politics and diplomacy, education and culture. The language was introduced in the Nigerian school system in 1859, but It was not until after Nigeria’s independence that the government began to appreciate French language and showed some interest in its teaching by popularizing it in the school curriculum. They saw that French and English languages should be studied by the citizens to save Nigeria from isolation from their neighbours and the entire world. Communication is a vital factor in the 21st century and no country wants to be left behind. French language is a veritable tool for regional integration and competitiveness not only in West Africa but also in Africa, and indeed globally.