An Analysis of French Language Proficiency Levels Among Secondary School Students in Kano State

French language instruction in Nigerian secondary schools faces persistent challenges of poor learner outcomes, inadequate teacher training, and limited exposure to authentic communicative contexts. This study analyses the French language proficiency levels of secondary school students in Kano State, focusing on the four core skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and a sample of 320 students drawn from twenty public and private secondary schools across three senatorial districts of Kano State participated in the study. Data were collected through a standardised proficiency test adapted from the DELF A1 and A2 frameworks, supplemented by a structured questionnaire assessing learner attitudes and classroom exposure. Results indicate that the majority of students operate below the A2 competence threshold, with oral production and listening comprehension recording the weakest scores. Students in private schools demonstrated significantly higher proficiency in reading and writing than their public school counterparts. Attitude scores correlated positively with proficiency outcomes, suggesting motivational factors as partial mediators. Teacher qualifications and frequency of audio-visual resource use were identified as significant institutional predictors of learner performance. The study recommends a review of the French curriculum at the secondary school level in Kano State to incorporate communicative language teaching strategies, expanded in-service training for French teachers, and procurement of audio-visual learning resources for government schools. Keywords: French proficiency, secondary education, Kano State, language skills, DELF