The embassies of France, Canada and Switzerland, have joined premier French learning and cultural centre in Lagos, Alliance Francaise, to mark this year’s international French Day, Francophonie 2024.

Held at the Alliance Francaise Centre in Ikoyi, the day was celebrated with three French movie screenings, art and culture showcase as well as an evening cocktail party.

Speaking at the event, the Consul-General of France in Lagos, Laurent Favier, said celebrating the day was important for many reasons, as the “language goes beyond being simply a means of communication and also a means to share the country’s art and culture as well as connect with more Nigerians and Africans.”

Adding that the language was introduced to Nigeria in 1956, he said they were happy that their rich history was being shared through the 10 Alliance Francaise Centres in Nigeria currently.

He revealed that they were working with a number of educational institutions to train more teachers, equip more schools and create a more modern and innovative environment to develop skills of young Nigerians.

“There are 15, 000 French teachers in institutes all over Nigeria and over 11, 000 students learn French yearly as well. That shows how much the language is loved and appreciated in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking further on the movies that were shown, he said they show the diversity of francophone cinema and both countries can learn from each other.

Consul-General of Switzerland in Lagos, Frank Eggmann, praised the value of education and the media, adding that vocational learning and positive values are key in today’s world.

On his part, the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria, James Christoff, urged more people to embrace the language, adding that it is not only a means to communicate but is also a tool of commerce, opportunity and entertainment.

Renowned filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, stressed the need to understand different languages, adding that the countries surrounding Nigeria all speak French. He said asides being able to communicate with neighbours, it is important for trade and for the cinema.

Speaking on the relevance of the Alliance Francaise Centres, he said, “When Asa first came to Nigeria, she was brought by this French cultural center, so collaboration is important. Art does not have a language. We have done a lot of work with the French in terms of art and the media. The world is changing rapidly and we need to adapt with it,” he said.

Favier added that they intend to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and France through art, the media and education. “We organise regular artists’ residency in France, and it can be in different areas including fashion, painting, sculpturing and so on. We also have artists coming from France to spend six months here in Lagos for their residency program.”

“We have also been supporting moviemakers in Nigeria for many years, to meet their counterparts in France to attend festivals like Cannes as well as summits, to improve their movie-making capabilities and network with their peers from France and all over the world,” he said.