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By Edward Graham Sebbie
Ghana is being called upon to prioritize French language education to drive economic consolidation and enhance human capacity development. Despite sharing borders with three Francophone West African countries, studies show Ghana’s French-speaking population remains minimal, a situation advocates believe is stifling economic progress and limiting youth opportunities.
Advocacy for French Language Promotion
Speaking ahead of a French event for children, Mildred Frimpong, CEO of Ghonline, a French teaching advocacy group, emphasized the vast opportunities available to Ghana by strengthening French language teaching and learning from primary levels. This, she noted, would equip young people for better job prospects, particularly within the predominantly Francophone West African sub-region.
A major hurdle, according to Frimpong, is the widespread perception that French is a difficult language, leading many students to shy away from it. Addressing this mindset and promoting French language education could unlock significant economic and cultural benefits for Ghana, fostering stronger ties with neighboring Francophone nations. “You realise that our musicians collaborate mostly with only Nigerians when there are opportunities in closest neighbours like Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo but due to language barrier” she retorted.
Improved French proficiency she indicated could boost Ghana’s trade and economic integration within West Africa, enhance Ghana’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area and open doors to opportunities for Ghana’s young people in the sub-region and beyond.
Slated for October 25, 2025, the 2025 Super Wonderland French Funfair and Games seeks to provide the platform to whip up the enthusiasm of children in learning French through fan, teach them some techniques to make learning of the language more easily and the benefits they stand to derive in their chosen careers as they progress.
