The Nigeria French Language Village (NFLV), Ajara-Badagry, has rewarded outstanding students who distinguished themselves during the 2025/2026 Language Immersion Programme, with scholarships, cash prizes and other incentives aimed at promoting academic excellence in French language studies.
The awards were presented on Friday during the graduation ceremony for students drawn from 45 universities across Nigeria, where more than 700 participants completed the six-month immersion programme designed to strengthen their proficiency in French language and culture.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director of the Nigeria French Language Village, Professor Samuel Kolawole, commended the students for their discipline, resilience and commitment throughout the programme.
Addressing the gathering partly in French before switching to English, Professor Kolawole noted that the students had spent six months at the institution from January to July 2026 and were returning to their respective universities better equipped academically and linguistically.
He also expressed appreciation to Heads of Department of French in various universities for properly preparing the students before their arrival at the Village, while acknowledging that disciplinary measures had to be taken against a few students during the course of the programme.
The overall best graduating student, Ahmad Ibrahim of Abia State University, emerged as the star awardee of the ceremony.
In recognition of his exceptional performance, the member representing Badagry Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Mr Sesi Whingan, represented by Mr. Joshua Avigbe, donated N200,000 to the award winner. Professor Kolawole also announced a scholarship covering half of the student’s next semester tuition, while philanthropist and Fellow of the Village, Mr. Zakari Adamu, contributed an additional N100,000.
The Chairman of the Award Organising Committee, Professor M. O. Adesola, explained that the awards were determined using the students’ first-semester academic results and overall performance during the immersion programme.
Individual awards were also presented to outstanding students in each of the nine courses offered under the Language Immersion Programme, while the best-performing students from the participating universities received special recognition.
The ceremony also featured a special award for the overall best student of Badagry origin.
Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Towolawi, presented a cash award of N250,000 to Miss Taiwo Mabel Monate of Olabisi Onabanjo University for emerging as the best-performing student of Badagry extraction.
Towolawi said the award was intended to encourage academic excellence among young people from the area and inspire future generations to pursue educational attainment.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigeria French Language Village, Alhaji Labiru Kafur, charged the graduating students to be worthy ambassadors of the institution wherever they find themselves.
He urged them to contribute positively to the growth and reputation of the Village while promoting the French language and intercultural understanding.
Kafur also appealed for continued cooperation and support from the people and traditional institutions in Badagry, noting that the success of the Village depends partly on the goodwill and partnership of its host community.
A major highlight of the event was the recognition of two students of the Village, Miss Ọlọrundamilola Olorunsogo of the University of Ilorin and Miss Haderi Simple of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, who represented the Nigeria French Language Village at the Worldwide Bilingual Series Africa Award organised by Alliance Française, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The duo emerged winners of the competition, securing the first prize of N1 million and a plaque on behalf of the institution.
The achievement was widely celebrated by management, lecturers and students, who described it as evidence of the quality of training and language immersion offered by the Nigeria French Language Village.
The institution was established in 1991 by the Federal Government to provide compulsory immersion training for students of French in Nigerian universities and remains the country’s foremost centre for French language and cultural studies.