Pulse.ng : France launches ‘culture connect’ to promote French learning through Kaduna museum heritage

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

The Embassy of France in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Alliance Française of Kaduna and the National Museum Kaduna, has launched ‘Culture Connect’, an educational and cultural programme designed to link French language learning with the discovery of art and heritage.

The programme would involve more than 200 pupils from selected partner schools in Kaduna who will take part in guided visits to the National Museum during the last two weeks of November 2025.

The visits, lasting two hours and thirty minutes each, would be conducted in both English and French.

Young learners would explore the museum’s permanent collections and discover the Louvre Museum’s educational kit, being showcased for the first time in Northern Nigeria.

The project aims to introduce French teachers and learners to both the Louvre and Kaduna museums. It would also promote the Nok terracotta heritage, encourage cultural mediation, and support the development of educational resources in French.

The programme seeks to raise awareness among young audiences about the importance of cultural preservation. Each visit will include observation, creativity and play-based activities. Children will participate in interactive workshops and games in French.

A bilingual booklet would be distributed to the students, containing educational materials and an overview of both collections. Each participating child will also receive a certificate of participation.

Speaking at a press briefing on the cultural mediation programme on Thursday in Kaduna, the Curator of the National Museum in Kaduna, Malam Dikko Idris, said the initiative is aimed at connecting cultures and deepening understanding among young learners.

He explained that the students would first tour the museum’s main gallery to view Nigerian cultural objects, before engaging with the Louvre-inspired exhibition to compare artworks from different cultural origins.

According to him, the programme would help students appreciate that culture is shared across different parts of the world.

He said the museum intended to “catch them young” to ensure they understand that Nigeria has a rich cultural heritage, while other countries also possess diverse cultural histories.

Idris added that the students would relate the two cultural presentations and understand the similarities and differences between them.

He said the experience was expected to build cultural pride and awareness of heritage preservation.

The President of Alliance Française Kaduna, Alhaji Misbahudeen Bolarinwa, said the collaboration aimed to strengthen and uplift the National Museum Kaduna to the standard it deserves.

He said the museum needed greater awareness and recognition.

Bolarinwa said that Alliance Française had existed in Kaduna since 1974.

He explained that the organisation decided to support the museum so it could be better promoted to residents and visitors.

Bolarinwa said many people were unaware that the museum is well-equipped and holds significant cultural value.

He added that the objective was to make the museum a first point of interest for visitors in Kaduna.

According to him, the expected benefit was the preservation and transmission of Kaduna’s cultural heritage to present and future generations.

He said the museum should become a place where children learn, document, photograph, and share cultural knowledge.

The Project Team Lead, Ismail Zakari, said the programme combined learning, creativity and play to make museum education engaging.

He stated that the activities would be conducted in French to strengthen language immersion.

Zakari said the programme illustrated how French language education can become a bridge between cultures and generations.

He added that the project contributed to the French Embassy’s broader goal of promoting intercultural dialogue and environmental awareness through language learning.

One of the participating schools, Hazelwood Academy, shared their positive experience with the Culture Connect programme.

Mrs Tayo Oke, the school’s Head of Administration, said it joined due to its partnership with Alliance Française and emphasis on language arts, particularly French.

Oke said the programme complemented their language development efforts, providing pupils with linguistic exposure and cultural awareness.

“Through cultural outings, like visiting the National Museum, students appreciate art, history, and preserving cultural objects.

“The programme aligns with our goal of building confident, culturally-aware students,”she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the culture connect initiative is supported by a special grant from the Institut Français of Paris, as part of its global efforts to promote educational projects linking language and cultural heritage.(NAN)