France’s Ambassador to Uganda, Virginie Leroy, has urged young Ugandans to view the French language as a powerful economic and cultural asset capable of unlocking global jobs, cross-border business, and international education.
Speaking at Kitante Hill School in Kampala during the closing ceremony of the 1.12 billion Shilling (€288,000) French Education Framework (FEF) project, Ambassador Leroy emphasized that language skills give Uganda’s youth a massive competitive edge.
“The French language becomes an asset… a cultural asset, an economic asset, and an asset to connect countries,” Ambassador Leroy stated. She noted that Uganda’s young population is driven by a desire to learn, build livelihoods, start businesses, and travel. Mastering French directly feeds these ambitions by connecting Uganda to vast, untapped markets.
Local educators also pushed back against old stereotypes. Dr. Agatha Tumwiine, President of the Association of Teachers of French in Uganda (APFO), stated that international languages should not be viewed as tools of imperialism, but rather as crucial soft skills that complement a learner’s professional qualifications.
With over 320 million speakers globally—a number rapidly expanding—French has evolved into a dominant driver of regional and international opportunities:
Between 80% and 85% of all French speakers live in Africa. The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) records nearly 96.2 million Francophones on the continent, making French an inherently African language.
Uganda is surrounded by powerhouse Francophone neighbors, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi.
French is an official working language of the East African Community (EAC), serving as a vital bridge for regional trade and cross-border entrepreneurship.
Fluency unlocks elite career paths with multinational corporations (including major French firms in Uganda), international NGOs, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN).
French skills open doors to fully funded international scholarships, research platforms, and elite student exchange programs.
The successful completion of the two-year FEF project (2024–2026)—spearheaded by the French Embassy, Alliance Française de Kampala, and APFO—trained 230 teachers across 28 regions and introduced French to 22 new schools, vastly exceeding its original target. The initiative also created locally adapted teaching materials and engaged dozens of institutions.
However, the event highlighted friction with domestic education policies. French teachers are currently calling on the government to review aspects of the new curriculum, which they argue limits students’ ability to opt for French. Ambassador Leroy expressed hope that future systems would ensure science and engineering students no longer have to choose between technical skills and language proficiency.
Leaving a final challenge for Ugandan learners, the Ambassador warned against complacency: “A language, if you don’t practice it, you lose it. Never drop it.”
