The Lagos State University (LASU) has been described as head and shoulders above every other University in Nigeria when it comes to the teaching of French Language. This assertion was made by the Director and CEO of the Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry, Prof. Lateef Ayeleru, when he led members of the institution’s management on a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, on Tuesday.

Prof. Ayeleru, who expressed his commitment to the subsisting agreement between the institutions, also sought the Vice Chancellor’s approval to expand the scope of the agreement to cover other areas such as promotion of academic staff in non-professorial cadre as well of training of officers in the registry.

He stated that the request was based on LASU’s track record of quality human capital: “During the quarterly Conference of Departments of French Villages in Nigeria Universities, I told them that LASU has the most viable Department of French in terms of her academic staff. When you talk about scholars in French Language, in Nigeria today, no university can beat LASU. We will therefore be glad to explore other areas in our relationship”.

Going by the subsisting agreement, academics in the NFLV are assessed and promoted to the professorial cadre at the Lagos State University having satisfied every criteria including teaching in the university.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who received the team, expressed her commitment to the full implementation of the agreement even though it was not signed under her administration.

She said “Regardless who signed it or who is in charge, an agreement should be binding and we are therefore very committed to it. On your request to expand to other areas, we are very willing to do that. Please formally request a review.

“We are glad to explore such areas as students exchange, which will help us to have international students. Our objective is to internationalise the university and I believe this partnership can help us”, she said, leaving room for the Acting Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Fanu and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Tayo Ajayi to also make valuable comments about the agreement.

The visit, which took place in the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room, at the Babatunde Raji Fashola Senate Building, had in attendance members of the Management of both institutions as well as senior officials of the Vice Chancellor’s Office.