French Language Mentorship Programmes: A Strategy for Sustaining Language Development of French Graduates in Nigeria

The transition from university French language study to professional practice frequently exposes the inadequacy of degree-level preparation for the communicative demands of French-language-dependent careers, while also representing a critical period during which French proficiency can decline rapidly without structured support. Mentorship programmes linking French graduates with experienced professionals have been proposed as a strategy for sustaining post-graduation language development, yet no such programme has been formally implemented or evaluated in the Nigerian context. This study designs and evaluates a pilot French language mentorship programme implemented over one academic year at three universities in the South West and South-South zones: University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, and University of Port Harcourt. Forty graduate participants were matched with twenty professional mentors from diplomatic service, international organisations, and francophone-linked corporate sectors. Monthly mentoring sessions, bi-monthly group masterclasses, and online language practice platforms were integrated into the programme structure. Pre- and post-programme assessments measured French proficiency, professional language confidence, and career clarity. Results show statistically significant improvements in self-rated oral proficiency and professional French confidence among programme participants. Career clarity scores also improved significantly. Mentor satisfaction was high, with 85% expressing willingness to continue in subsequent cohorts. The study validates mentorship as a cost-effective post-graduation French development mechanism and provides a programme blueprint for national scaling through the Association of French Teachers in Nigeria. Keywords: mentorship, French language development, graduate support, professional French, Nigeria