French Embassy, Organisation Partner to Improve Youth Employability

French Embassy has partnered RIBARA, a platform committed to closing employability gaps in education in Nigeria.

With interest on employability, the embassy organised a project: “French in Nigeria, a language of employability.”

The project, in partnership with National Association of University Teachers of French (ANEUF-UFTAN) has made it possible for conversations on creation of French language programmes better adapted to the job market and expectations of professional recruiters.

The programme brought together members of ANEUF-UFTAN involved in the project and representatives of educational organisations to review actions to improve teaching and learning environment for French.

Head of Cooperation and Cultural Action at French Embassy, Thierry Valentin, noted the embassy’s commitment to collaboration.

“The French Embassy obtained funding in July 2024 to launch this project. We are engaging stakeholders to ensure it delivers outcomes for Nigerian youths,” he said.

He also noted the embassy’s audit of French language programmes in 10 Nigerian universities to redesigning curriculum for B.A. French students and minors to better align with professional expectations.

A co-founder of RIBARA, Dr Ada Peter, of Covenant University, Ota, explained that the educational landscape is evolving rapidly, yet there’s a widening gap between academia and industry needs.

She added that universities are struggling to keep their curriculum relevant, and students are finding themselves ill-prepared for the workforce.

“That’s where RIBARA comes in. It is not just another educational or networking platform.

“We’ve developed a complete ecosystem that bridges the gap between education and employability, ensuring that every student is on a personalised path to job readiness; every university can continuously improve relevance of its curriculum, and every employer can access job-ready talent on the website.

She noted that the platform is collaborating with universities to address gaps identified in National Universities Commission’s new Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).

RIBARA, created by Covenant and Harvard Universities’ graduates, is a platform helping users boost employability through a platform for education and job skills. The platform is connecting individuals, universities, and employers to transform education and career outcomes.