The Politics of French Language Assessment in Nigeria: Power, Validity, and Social Consequences

French language assessment in Nigeria, spanning secondary school examinations, university entrance requirements, professional certification, and diplomatic appointments, operates as a gatekeeping mechanism whose validity, fairness, and social consequences have not been subjected to critical language testing examination. This study conducts a critical analysis of the politics of French language assessment in Nigeria, drawing on Shohamy's critical language testing framework, Messick's validity theory, and critical race and colonial theory. A mixed methods design was employed, combining document analysis of assessment frameworks from the West African Examinations Council, National Examinations Council, National Universities Commission, and selected professional licensing bodies, with analysis of item-level examination data from 12,000 WAEC and NECO French examination scripts across six states, and narrative interviews with 30 test-takers from socially varied backgrounds. Construct validity analysis revealed systematic alignment of high-achieving item profiles with socioeconomic indicators of private school attendance and urban residence, suggesting that current assessments measure socioeconomic access to quality instruction as much as French language competence. Social consequences analysis documented the use of French examination performance as a filter for diplomatic appointments that disproportionately excludes candidates from North-East and North-West zones where quality French instruction is least available. The study advances a critical validity framework for French assessment in Nigeria and recommends a comprehensive assessment reform commission under the National Policy on Education review process. Keywords: language assessment, French language testing, critical language testing, validity, Nigeria