NAN-H-24
French
Lapai (Niger), Sept. 29, 2016 (NAN) Students in the French Language Department of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger, are too few for the large resources invested in the department, an official said.
The Head of the department, Prof. Amos Ihenacho, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lapai on Thursday.
Ihenacho called on Niger Government to take measures to save the department.
He said that resources sunk into the department annually by the state government was enormous for students not up to 30.
Ihenacho said that admission seekers were unwilling to study the language in the department which had abundant human and material resources for optimal studies.
He said that students lacked interest in studying French in the university because no public secondary school offered French in the state.
Ihenacho added that Niger lacked French teachers in secondary schools because students were not willing to learn the language at university level.
“It is a vicious circle – no French student, no French teacher and conversely.
“This trend is a problem now and in the future, as time will come when the state will lose opportunities to other states which are better prepared for such opportunities.
“I want to strongly use this medium to appeal to Niger Government to sensitise admission seekers to come to the department for a pre-degree course in French.
“This will usher them into100 level, having passed the foundation examination.
” Niger state has a lot to benefit from the study of French Language both at international and at local levels .
” There are many countries in the sub-region which have French as official language. Such countries as Niger Republic, Mali and Chad are very close to northern Nigeria.
“French Language is veritable for bilateral trade within the sub-region, for international business and even for communication,” he said.
Ihenacho called on school leavers who did not meet the cut-off point into their chosen courses to apply for a pre-degree programme in the department.
He said that most professors of French never studied French in primary or secondary school but started the course in the university and distinguished themselves.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 30 countries speak French as official language. (NAN)
MNO/ORO/IGO
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(Edited by Razak Owolabi and controlled by Ijeoma Popoola)