At France Alumni Day, Nigerian students exposed to educational, career opportunities

For the fourth consecutive year, the French diplomatic community in Nigeria has used its annual alumni gathering to make a compelling case for why young Nigerians should look beyond their shores for world-class education — and this time, the message landed with unmistakable urgency.
The venue was Alliance Française Lagos and the occasion was France Alumni Day. The event, themed, “Scientific Talents, Discovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” drew together a cross-section of alumni, students, academics, employers and business leaders into what became a robust exchange on the future of Nigerian talent in a rapidly evolving global knowledge economy.

Laurent Favier, France’s Consul General in Nigeria, set the tone early. Nigeria’s appetite for French education, he said, is growing and the numbers support this. Requests for student mobility from Nigeria to France are climbing steadily, a trend he attributed to a concerted push by the French government to position itself as the destination of choice for Nigerian youths seeking rigorous scientific and technological training.

“STEM sits at the very heart of our modern society, often invisible and yet so embedded it has become second nature,” Favier told attendees, adding that every technological leap the world is currently experiencing demands knowledge and competencies that French institutions are uniquely positioned to supply. “The technological leap we are experiencing today calls for the development of specific knowledge and skills that businesses need, or will need in the future, to innovate, grow and create value.”
But education alone, Favier was quick to note, is only half the equation. The other half is career readiness. That is why the alumni day was paired with a Career and Employment Fair, bringing together nearly 20 companies across multiple sectors to engage directly with prospective students and returning graduates. “Studying abroad and earning a degree becomes truly worthwhile when connected to professional opportunities and the workplace,” he said. “International experience can make all the difference.”

He challenged participants to view time abroad not as an escape, but as a strategic investment in their own evolution. “Studying abroad is a chance to step away in order to return stronger. Those who await your return will find you both the same and transformed and that transformation is precisely what France Alumni Day is about.”

The French Embassy’s Deputy Head of Cultural Cooperation, Pierre Andriamampianina, was equally candid, pushing back against the notion that France is simply chasing enrolment targets. Quality, he insisted, is the priority and Nigeria is delivering it in abundance. “Our goal is not just to increase the numbers. We want really motivated students who want to come back and develop Nigeria,” he said.
He revealed that feedback from French universities consistently places Nigerian students among the top performers in their respective classes. “The feedback we have from universities is that Nigerian students are always among the best in the top ten of each class. That is why we want to focus more on Nigeria.” He urged prospective applicants not to let cost or fear of the unfamiliar hold them back, pointing to a wide range of available scholarships. “Without trying, you can’t achieve anything.”
The alumni panel that followed gave the event some of its most compelling moments, with four graduates offering candid accounts of how their French education reshaped their professional trajectories.

Sultan Sunmola, who studied at INSEAD Business School and went on to co-found Robo Nish Technologies, said exposure to French academic culture dismantled the geographical and psychological barriers he had unconsciously built around his ambitions. “France is arguably home to the best business schools in the world. French culture can help you break geographical barriers,” he said, waving aside concerns about language barriers and the challenges of settling into a new country.
Henry Eze, a graduate of Audencia Business School, arrived in France with a background in agribusiness and left with the mental frameworks that would eventually carry him into technology consulting. “France helped me to see how value chains and processes work. Technology is majorly about processes and solutions, and I was able to transfer those skills into the tech industry,” he explained.

Ini-Obong Antaih of HEC Business School spoke to the practical advantages that often go unmentioned in the conversation about studying in France: student discounts on accommodation, transportation and even museum entry, all of which ease the financial burden of life abroad. She also made a strong case for French language acquisition as a career differentiator. “Many companies today want people who can interact across African regions. Saying you speak English and French becomes an added advantage for your career and networking opportunities,” she said.

Rounding off the panel, Grace Tolu Ojo, an alumna from the University of Lille, traced a path from her studies in France to a career in sports management and, ultimately, to volunteering at the Paris 2024 Olympics — a journey she said would not have been possible without the doors that her time in France flung open.

Beyond the panel, participants at the event explored pathways for academic collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship between Nigeria and France, in what organisers described as one of the most productive editions of the annual forum since its inception.