The Embassy of France in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Alliance Française of Kaduna and the National Museum, has launched “Culture Connect” — an educational and cultural programme aimed at linking French language learning with the discovery of art and heritage.
The initiative will engage more than 200 pupils from selected partner schools in Kaduna, who will take part in guided visits to the National Museum during the last two weeks of November 2025.
Each visit, lasting two hours and thirty minutes, will be conducted in both English and French to enhance language immersion and cultural appreciation.
Young learners would explore the museum’s permanent collections and discover the Louvre Museum’s educational kit, being showcased for the first time in Northern Nigeria.
The project aims “to introduce French teachers and learners to both the Louvre and Kaduna museums”. It would also promote the Nok terracotta heritage, encourage cultural mediation, and support the development of educational resources in French.
The programme seeks to raise awareness among young audiences about the importance of cultural preservation, as each visit will include observation, creativity and play-based activities, while children will participate in interactive workshops and games in French.
A bilingual booklet would be distributed to the students, containing educational materials and an overview of both collections, each participating child will also receive a certificate of participation.
Speaking at a press briefing on the cultural mediation programme in Kaduna, the Curator of the National Museum in Kaduna, Dikko Idris said “the initiative is aimed at connecting cultures and deepening understanding among young learners.”
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He explained that “students would first tour the museum’s main gallery to view Nigerian cultural objects, before engaging with the Louvre-inspired exhibition to compare artworks from different cultural origins.”
According to him, the programme would help students appreciate that culture is shared across different parts of the world.
He said; “the museum intends to catch them young” to ensure they understand that Nigeria has a rich cultural heritage, while other countries also possess diverse cultural histories.”
Idris explained that “the students would relate the two cultural presentations and understand the similarities and differences between them.”
He said the experience is expected to build cultural pride and awareness of heritage preservation.
The President of Alliance Française Kaduna, Alhaji Misbahudeen Bolarinwa disclosed that “the collaboration aims to strengthen and uplift the National Museum Kaduna to the standard it deserves.”
Bolarinwa said the museum needs greater awareness and recognition.
He explained that the organisation decided to support the museum so it could be better promoted to residents and visitors.
Bolarinwa said many people are unaware that the museum is well-equipped and holds significant cultural value.
The Project Team Lead, Ismail Zakaria, said; “the programme combines learning, creativity and play to make museum education engaging, noting that the activities will be conducted in French to strengthen language immersion.”
He said the programme illustrates how French language education can become a bridge between cultures and generations.
One of the participating schools, Hazelwood Academy shared their positive experience with the Culture Connect programme.
Mrs.Tayo Oke, the school’s Head of Administration said the school joined due to its partnership with Alliance Française and emphasis on language arts, particularly French.