The French Embassy in Nigeria has disclosed that approximately 2,000 students are currently studying in France under its international mobility programme.
The Deputy Head of Cooperation at the French Embassy, Pierre Andriamampianina, made the disclosure at the France Alumni Day 2026 held at the Résidence de France in Abuja on Thursday.
“In the last three years, the demand has grown 235%. We have currently around 500 files made by students per year. We have around 2,000 students in France,” he said.
He added that demand for places had grown sharply, with applications rising by 235 per cent over the last three years and around 500 student files processed annually.
Andriamampianina said the programme was not about encouraging brain drain but about equipping students with international experience.
“Mobility is not escaping, it’s just getting experience abroad and coming back to reinforce the skills here in Nigeria,” he said.
He said returning students had gone on to start businesses and take up management positions, which he described as the programme’s greatest success.
Speaking, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, said France was placing greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics in its international student mobility programmes.
According to him, the theme of this year’s event, “Scientific Talents: Discover, Innovate and Entrepreneurship,” reflects France’s priority of promoting STEM education among international students.
“STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, sit at the very heart of our modern societies. The technological leap we are living through calls for the development of specific knowledge and skills that businesses need or will need in order to innovate and grow,” he said.
The ambassador said studying abroad becomes more meaningful when linked to employment opportunities, noting that international experience often gives graduates an advantage in the workplace.
“Studying abroad and earning a degree only truly makes sense when connected to the world of work, where international experience can make all the difference,” he said, while thanking companies participating in the event.
He noted that requests for student mobility from Nigeria to France continue to increase annually, describing education exchange as both a professional and human experience.
“Behind every project to study in France, beyond the professional prospects it offers, there is a profoundly human dimension,” he said.
The envoy added that France Alumni Day was not only a celebration of past achievements but also an investment in the future, commending the growing France Alumni community in Nigeria.
“Your participation is a testament to the growing strength and dynamism of the France alumni community in Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, Oluwadamilola Wati said her decision to study in France was driven by the need to gain expertise in both civil and common law traditions.
“France was very intentional for me. I needed an educational system that would push me beyond common law thinking, and a dual practice in civil law and common law seemed like the right choice for the kind of international practice that I was building towards,” she said.
Wati said her experience in France helped her build competence and confidence by exposing her to a new legal system and multicultural professional environment.
France has in recent years intensified efforts to attract international students, particularly from Africa, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen educational and economic ties with the continent.
Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country, has become an increasingly important source of international students for French universities.
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