A Critical Analysis of French Language Policy in Nigerian Education: Gaps Between Intent and Implementation

Nigeria's National Policy on Education designates French as a compulsory second language in junior secondary schools and promotes a bilingual school model at the federal level, yet persistent empirical gaps between policy intent and classroom implementation have never been subjected to comprehensive critical analysis at national scale. This study conducts a critical analysis of French language policy in Nigerian education, drawing on policy implementation theory and critical language policy frameworks. A mixed methods national survey design was employed, with structured questionnaires administered to 312 French teachers and 48 education officials across twelve states representing all six geopolitical zones. Document analysis of federal and state policy texts, budget circulars, and National Educational Research and Development Council reports provided the policy intent baseline. Implementation fidelity was measured against nine policy indicators. Results reveal a significant implementation gap across all policy indicators, with bilingual instruction in non-French subjects absent in virtually all surveyed schools, and French teacher deployment falling below prescribed ratios in all twelve states surveyed. State-level policy appropriation varied substantially, with South West states showing higher compliance than North East and North West states. Funding as a share of education budgets was inversely correlated with implementation fidelity, suggesting resource constraints compound governance failures. The study provides the first empirically grounded national mapping of the French language policy-implementation gap and recommends a phased implementation framework with defined accountability benchmarks. Keywords: French language policy, policy implementation, Nigerian education, bilingual education, critical policy analysis