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By Merit Ibe
The Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is optimistic that despite inevitable challenges in the Nigerian business environment, there are opportunities for businesses to grow.
L-R: H.E Emmanuelle Blatmann, French Ambassador in Nigeria; Mrs Abiola Williams-Otufale, President of Alliance Française Lagos; Mr Olivier Becht, Minister delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals abroad; Mr Judikaël Regnaut, Head of Corporation and Cultural Affairs- Director of Institut Français du Nigeria.
Director General of the chamber, Moses Umoru, made the remark during a French ‘up your career’ event held in Lagos, which featured job fairs, workshops, conferences and discussions on french as a springboard to employment.
Umoru noted that one of the purposes for the event was to celebrate french impact all over the world. He said French is number one tech hub, as this year, a tech hub was launched in Lagos, aimed at getting together young tech startups in Nigeria, to be able to meet venture capitalist. “This year, they launched the french tech hub in Lagos . It’s present in 60 countries all over the world. It is aimed at getting together young tech startups in Nigeria. So that they may be able to meet venture capitalist. We want to identify these skills and get french funding as much as they can get. That is why we are gathered here,” he said.
The DG disclosed that the over 100 french companies were domiciled in Nigeria because oppourtunities for businesses to grow abound.
“We had a business forum the other day, where the French Minister for Foreign Trade Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht, was present to discuss with Nigerians business owners, who were over 250 in number. It is a statement for the interest they have in Nigeria. The future is bright,” he said.
On the ease of doing business, he said when there is clarity in terms of government policy, it becomes better.
“For example, the PIA passed last year is creating more clarity in the oil and gas space as more businesses are coming. Once there is clarity business stay and thrive,’ he said.
He pointed out that the Franco-Nigerian Chamber, has supported the growth of French-Nigeria business relations.
He recounted the high-impact initiatives being carried out by the Chamber including trade missions to France, high-level networking events and support for the Chamber’s start-ups.
Deputy Head of the cultural service at the French Embassy, who is also in charge of higher education and scientific cooperation, Sebastien Bede, disclosed that France is a destination willing to attract more Nigerians.
Bede talked about efforts at mobilizing more Nigerian scholars to study in France while establishing better relationship with Nigeria.
Bede, who is in service with the Campus France Nigeria, said the institution was in charge of cooperation between universities in Nigeria and in France.
He acknowledged that France and Nigeria do not have a long history of relationship and as such this can only come through research.
So they want to build a long term relationship and promote research and research centres
He noted their aim is in nigeria to develop mobility between France and Nigeria and Vice versa.
“The main focus of our work is to promote studies in France.
“We organise and attend study tours, develop mobility between France and Nigeria, Nigeria and France, student mobility scholars ability .In English or french
As part of its cooperation in Nigeria, he disclosed that the institution has mobilized many scholars from Nigeria to France on scholarships and expecting the number to increase.
Bede emphasised the building a strong relationship between the two countries through education.
“We are also promoting Nigeria in France, which was new for me a new exercise, but very interesting as a lot of higher education institutions are interested with cooperation.
“ But they are interested in opening new cooperation, new partnerships with higher education here in Nigeria, and to develop mobility because the key actually for us is to develop this mobility, whether it’s for program mainly taught in English in France and also to do research.
And this is something very important because we can’t think about long term relationship if we don’t talk about research and to do so we go beyond the promotion of studies in France, developing cooperation, we also offer scholarship programs.
“And for that, we work with the tetfund. At the Ministry of Education in Abuja, we launched this year, new scholarship program to train scholars working in federal public universities here in Nigeria.
He noted that this year, 11 Scholars would go to France to start their PhD, “but we expect many more next year. On the second edition. We also work with a PTDF since 2016. And so far 150 candidates are doing their master’s degree or their PhD in France.
So I won’t list all the cooperation we have but the point is, we are welcoming more and more Nigerian in France.
“ The trend is really positive. We offer more than 1,600 programs taught in English in France.
“ Once you’re in France, you’ll learn a bit French, as Nigeria is surrounded by French speaking countries. But this is just bonus but if you want to do your studies in France, do it in English. Yes. And mainly at the master level and PhD. For the Bachelor. We only have a few program taught in English.
He said one thing also very important to know in his opinion that makes France very attractive is the fees.
“The fees in National University public universities is really low.
“ For master degree is not even 4000 euros. The reason is the French government subsidized for international students. We believe that higher education should be open and accessible for anyone. Even family with low incomes.
“I know that even here in Nigeria 4000 euros can be something big. But the real cost of studies what it costs to the French government is around 12,000 euros. So you see going to France actually is already benefiting.
“So this makes French very attractive. Plus this is an international environment.”
He said the French government really wants to attract more and more international talent. We so far have 400,000 international students.
“The objective is half a million in three or four years. So we want to attract many more international students. And to give you an idea in research centers, we have 40 persons 44 Zero persons of international researchers, which makes also something very attractive for Nigerian if they want to do their research in France to develop the network, meet people from all Europe, Asia, Africa.
For online courses, he said it was feasible. He also disclosed that in France there are both public and private schools.
“ So in France, you have the public universities and I’ve been focusing on this so far in this interview, but we also have private schools. This is about art, culture, architecture, but also what is obviously popular here in Nigeria, engineering and business schools. And in that case, the fees can start around 5000 euros up to 10, 20, 25,000 euros. But something important is that in France, you have among the top best schools in the world. And this is also something that I feel Nigerian, do not know. France is ranking the third best university innovative country in the world according to this ranking. So we need to work and this is our job and these countries, France and the French Embassy to develop this awareness to Nigerian public that France is a destination willing to attract more Nigerians.
Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, President, MAAUN Group of Universities, encouraged Nigerians to learn the french language as it’s an added value.
The professor, who did his first degree, masters and Phd I’m France said it was important for Nigeria government to promote billingual because Nigeria as a country, is surrounded by Francophone countries.
He noted that if one must make head way in other parts of the world, it was important to be billingual, study french language to stay up beat.
He lamented that Nigerians were missing out in lots of opportunities due to lack of being to speak french.
“We should be serious in learning French because when you have a second language you have international jobs. Like in EU, UN, ECOWAS, AU, others, there’s a lot of international opportunities that Nigerians are missing. Lack of bilingualism lack of being polyglots have deprived Nigerians of so many opportunities.
If you look at the CV of our people, very rich, very sound, but lack of communication, second communication language is disturbing. As a businessman, a politician, whatever you are, you need a second language, so that you can communicate effective and achieve more.
Gwarzo,who is French by nationality, said speaking french as a second language, gave him the opportunity to to open a fourth bilingual private university in Asia.
“ My first private university is in Asia and Asia is a Francophone country. And I’m lucky I speak French fluently. I’m able to handle the administration rules.
To be able to penetration for trade you need the second language or more international languages.
“In terms trade, learning more than one language is extremely important.
We need to develop ourselves.
“ I did my first degree in France, masters in France PhD in France. I did two PhD in France. So I got so much opportunities so I invested in France. I have a hotel in France. I have a lot of things in France.”
He advised that the French Embassy and the cultural center should be encouraging activities like the French up your career event, where there will be displays, job fair, career prospects in French and more enlightenment on the opportunities.
“Because if you have something you want to sell, you have to invite people and showcase what you have promoted so that they can buy. if they’re not doing this event yearly, I don’t think people will understand the advantage of their language.
It is very important they organize events of this sort. You see a lot of Nigerians in France now studying and doing business. So I think the cooperation is working very well.”
The professor advised that the federal government should encourage the teaching of French language in schools and improvement in the school curriculum.
