Leverage French language for economic growth

By Evelyn ARTHUR

Ghana has been urged to prioritise French language education as a means to drive economic consolidation and enhance human capacity development.

Despite sharing borders with three Francophone West African countries, studies show that Ghana’s French-speaking population remains minimal — a situation advocates say is hindering economic progress and limiting opportunities for the youth.

Advocacy for French language promotion

Speaking ahead of a French-themed event for children, Mildred Frimpong, Chief Executive Officer of Ghonline — a French teaching advocacy group — underscored the vast opportunities available to Ghana through the strengthening of French language teaching and learning from the primary school level. She noted that this would equip young people with better job prospects, particularly within the predominantly Francophone West African sub-region.

According to Ms. Frimpong, a major hurdle to achieving this goal is the widespread perception that French is a difficult language, causing many students to shy away from it. She stressed that addressing this mindset and promoting French language education could unlock significant economic and cultural benefits for Ghana, fostering stronger ties with neighbouring Francophone nations.

“You realise that our musicians collaborate mostly with Nigerians when there are opportunities in our closest neighbours like Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo — but due to the language barrier, such collaborations are limited,” she lamented.

Improved French proficiency, she indicated, could boost Ghana’s trade and economic integration within West Africa, enhance the country’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and open doors to greater opportunities for young people across the sub-region and beyond.

Slated for October 25, 2025, the Super Wonderland French Fanfare and Games seeks to provide a platform to inspire children to learn French through fun activities. The event will also teach techniques to make learning the language easier and highlight the benefits young learners stand to gain in their future careers.

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