SOKOTO – The International Northern French Conference (NORFCON), on Sunday, commended the efforts of northern governors for encouraging the teaching of French language in their states.
The commendation is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of NORFCON’s sixth conference in Sokoto, signed by Dr Umar Dogon-Daji, the Head of the French Unit, Usmanu Danfodiyo University.
The Conference particularly commended the Sokoto State Government, under the leadership of Gov. Aliyu Wamakko, for its commitment to revitalising French language and other disciplines by sponsoring the state’s indigenes to study within and outside Nigeria.
It said participants at NORFCON acknowledged the 17 indigenes of the state being sponsored to study French at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
It listed some of the institutions where the indigenes were studying as Abdulmumini University, Niamey, Niger Republic and the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The communiqué urged other northern governors to emulate the Sokoto State Government in that direction.
The participants, according to the communiqué, had however, observed that, the teaching and learning of French in some parts of the north was not encouraging.
It stated that “only a few people are studying the language, despite the enormous resources the various state governments spend to promote its teaching and learning.
“There is the need for parents and the society to be sensitised and encouraged to send their wards for French courses as we are being surrounded by French-speaking countries.’’
The communiqué also said that the participants had expressed dismay over the poor attendance of northern French teachers at local, national and international conferences.
It advised vice chancellors to sponsor members of academic staff to the University French Teachers Association of Nigeria (UFTAN) 2014 conference, opening on Nov. 9, in Lagos.
The communiqué commended the management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, for sponsoring the conference.
It also commended the National Universities Commission for implementing minimum standard for general studies that included the teaching of French at the first level of university education. (NAN)
