1.0.

INTRODUCTION

1.1.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

Education is counted among the principal socialization forces as well as among the
state apparatuses serving the complex interest of ideology and cultural hegemonic
control.
In Africa, education has been working as a serious tool of western cultural
imperialism. It has been argued by a number of critics that, from the colonial period
till present, education has represented a major vector of the introduction, selling and
firm implantation of the western culture in the continent. Today, it is not surprising
that western education and its resultant cultural products remarkably continue to be
felt in the life of Africans and to more and more shape their frame of thinking.
Through this education fashioned according to Western cultural values and inherited
by African states from their various colonial masters, Africans are continually and
tremendously made or groomed to rather think like the Whiteman and to more or less
embrace the myth of the Whitemans superiority. Salawu (22006:9-10) notes and
passionately decries this phenomenon/anomaly when he concedes that:
The structure that the colonialists handed down still remains till today, decades after
they have left. In fact, it is even more strengthened as English (for instance) and
Western education continue to remain the language and education of power and
progress in life. Therefore, there is an understandable fast growing interest in both the
language and the education. Africa remains far from catching up with the pace of
human progress in the advanced world. Therefore, Africa continues to look up to the
West. This aspiration is captured in the concept of empathy [] and revolution rising
expectation.
A close look at school curriculums, the contents of school subjects and textbooks and
manual used in most African schools among others suffices to prove this fact true. In
contemporary Nigeria for instance, the youth is, from childhood groomed - through
both formal and informal education - into being a heavy consumer of western culture

and a mimicker of the Western way of life (Salawu 2006). The child is virtually made
to be a cloned westerner as Achebe in Ezeafulukwe (2012:61) notes this
phenomenon, with particular reference to metropolitan areas of the country. We are at
cosmopolitan centers and the predominant cultures of the center are from Europe. And
so whatever your political or ideological positions might be, you very soon discover
that your child is inheriting all kinds of nefarious ideas.
A number of Nigerian critics, educationists and policy makers have proposed
strategies to redress the situation and save Nigerian cultures from complete erosion.
Their contributions and suggestions are mainly rooted in the philosophy of
indigenization which is closely associated to such neologisms as localization,
Afrocentrism, ethnocentrism, de-colonization, Nigerians and the like (Awoyemi
2013; Kolbowe and Madu 2013; Iwuagwu 1997; Awobuluyi 1992). The term
indigenization has thus become a cash word among Africanists and culturalisms. It has
subsequently been equated to the philosophy of cultural protectionism.
The move in favour of indigenization in the Nigeria educational sector has been
manifested in multiple steps including the revision of school curriculum and didactic
practices to include the teaching of/in mother tongues, the inclusion of African oral
tradition and literature among others (Awoyemi 2013; Ezeafulukwe 2012; Iwuagwu
1997). In line with this, the teaching of French has visibly been indigenized to some
extent. It has been conceived to be more Afro-centric especially at primary and
secondary levels of education. This Afro-centrism is however faced with a avalanche
of challenges: among which feature the westernization of the Nigerian learners mind,
which is partly enabled by the learners constant exposure and heavy consumption of
western culture through other socialization institutions such as the media and religion.
This westernization of French learners minds is equally owing to the Franco-centric
French teaching programs at the university level. It is not uncommon that French
language learners very much prefer to learn French the French way (entailing knowing
and adopting the French way of life) than learning the cultures of African francophone

cultures; considering how and where to learn the language in a French way was lead
to the establishment of Nigeria French Language Village, in December, 1991 with the
following objectives:
Provide a domestic alternative to the mandatory year- abroad language
immersion programmes for undergraduates of French studies from Nigerian
Universities and Colleges of Education.
Service tertiary institutions in Nigeria with adequate human, material and
infrastructural backing for the effective teaching, learning as well as conduct of
research in French
Explore areas of practical application of the French Language to the Nigerian
situation.
Promote economic, technical and social integration of the African Continent.
Provide information and serve as think-tank to government and other relevant
corporate entities on the exploration and exploitation of the French Language in
policy formulation and decision-making.
Provide a domestic alternative to the mandatory year- abroad language
immersion programmes for undergraduates of French studies from Nigerian
Universities and Colleges of Education.
Service tertiary institutions in Nigeria with adequate human, material and
infrastructural backing for the effective teaching, learning as well as conduct of
research in French.
Explore areas of practical application of the French Language to the Nigerian
situation.
Promote economic, technical and social integration of the African Continent.
Provide information and serve as think-tank to government and other relevant
corporate entities on the exploration and exploitation of the French Language in
policy formulation and decision-making.
This study will look into the role of The Nigeria French Language Village in the
teaching and learning of French Language in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
considering the challenges and the prospects.

1.2

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There is a growing concern about the Role of the Nigeria French Language to
Learning and teaching of French in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria. The center is
established to reduce the effect of traveling to a French speaking country so as to be
able to learn and speak fluently the language, this by far has been affected and not
improve the teaching and learning capacity of our higher institutions. The Nigerian
Government on its part too has neglected the education sector to even recognize that
French Language is very important to the diplomatic and economic structure of the
country. This feeling has made some stakeholders in the educational sector to
recognize the following as many but few problems confronting the center:
a.

Economic Stability

b.

Accessibility

c.

Human Resources and Material Resources

d.

Government Policy

e.

International and foreign agency Support

1.3

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Much has been said about the need for French in Nigeria and also the teaching and
learning of French in Nigeria higher institutions. That is to say the importance of
French cannot be over emphasized. The purpose of this study therefore is to:
a.

Find out the role of the Nigeria French Language Village.

b.

Find out it effect on Tertiary institutions in Nigeria

c.

Find out it relevance on teaching and learning of French language in Nigeria.

d.

Determines if the center is adequately funded for the purpose of it creation.

e.

Find out if the center impact adequate knowledge to its student yearly?

1.4

RESEARCH QUESTIONS/HYPOTHESIS

The study was to provide answers to the following research questions:

1.

What is the significance of NFLV in teaching and learning of French in

Nigeria?

2.

Is the human and material resources enough?

3.

What is the effect of the immersion programme on students of tertiary

institutions in Nigeria?

4.

Is there adequate Government interventions on cogent needs of the center?

5.

Is the curriculum content of the center enough to improve teaching and

learning of French in Nigeria?

1.5.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The need for French language in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. However,

Nigeria geographical, economic, and diplomatic as well as her educational research
needs make it imperative for her to give adequate, necessary attention and priority to
the teaching and learning of French in Nigeria tertiary institutions. In view of this
stated reason above, it is hoped that this research will shed more light on the
importance of French language in our tertiary institutions. It is also hoped that the
managers of these institutions will inform the Government about the need to improve
the services being rendered and make adequate and necessary improvements.

1.6.

DELIMITATION

This study was self-financed. Therefore, funds became a constraint. In the future this
research could be expanded using a larger sample size. If the Federal Government of
Nigeria can make fund available, the empirical status of the research will increase.
The findings were based on the responses of 50 participant (Undergraduates) which
tend to affect its external validity. However, this is a major weakness that can be
controlled in the future by using a larger sample size aforementioned.

2.0

LITERATURE REVIEW