Prof. Raufu Adebisi, the Director-General, (DG), Nigeria-French Language Village (NFLV),Badagry, Lagos state, on Friday said the institution was alive to its responsibilities to French language undergraduates from the nation’s universities.
Adebisi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry that, “NFLV is leading in terms of academic and administrative personnel, infrastructure, academic content and qualitative output.’’
He said that the insinuation that the institution was not up-and-doing academically was `outrageous`.
“We are the best in Africa. I can’t understand why our students here will prefer to study French in another country.
“Many Nigerian undergraduates posted to this institution only go for more tutorials in neighbouring countries at their convenience.
“I am amased when I hear some heads of French departments in our universities say they prefer to send their students across our border for their immersion.
“We all know that language immersion or learning is neither a jamboree nor a mere excursion but an academic exercise with an academic content which must be met,’’ he said.
“Students that lobby to go for their immersion outside Nigeria do so for other motives which are more often than not of an extra academic exercise.’’
The director-general urged Nigerian universities that host Departments of French Language to always send their undergraduates to NFLV where they would be able to improve their proficiency in the language.
“It is unpatriotic for our universities to flout the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by them and NFLV,’’ Adebisi said.
The college’s chief executive officer also said that his administration had made adequate preparations to prevent the institution from being flooded by this year’s rainy season.
“The institution does not stand any risk of flooding because proper measures have been put in place to prevent it.
“We have constructed more drainage especially at flood-prone locations within compound.
“We have linked our drainage system to the fish pond and the drains in the local government for diversion into the lagoon.
“These measures will ensure that no form of flooding is experienced in NFLV at any time this year,” he said. (NAN)