For many young Nigerians, France once existed only in postcards and pop culture, the towering elegance of the Eiffel Tower, warm croissants from corner boulangeries, art-lined streets in Paris and the romantic rhythm of the French language.

But at the fourth edition of the France Alumni Day in Nigeria, held at the Alliance Française Lagos Mike Adenuga Centre, France became something far deeper: a bridge to transformation, innovation, confidence and global opportunity.

The event gathered alumni, students, entrepreneurs, academics, employers and policymakers around the theme: “Scientific Talents, Discovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” Yet beyond the formal speeches and networking sessions, the atmosphere carried stories of reinvention — Nigerians who travelled abroad uncertain and returned with sharpened ambition, global skills and entirely new ways of seeing the world.

Opening the event, the Consul General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier, described studying in France as more than an academic pursuit.

“As the French novelist Marcel Proust once said, ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes,’” he said.

“Perhaps that is the finest summary of what studying in France offers, not simply a change of scenery, but a new way of seeing the world, others and oneself.”

For Favier, the annual gathering is not merely a celebration of academic achievement, but a platform for transformation.

“Studying abroad is a chance to step away in order to return stronger. It is an opportunity to meet new people and experience new cultures. Those who await your return will find you both the same and transformed,” he said.

“And that transformation is precisely what France Alumni Day is about, transforming yourselves and transforming the way others see you when you return.”

Throughout the event, alumni shared deeply personal stories that painted vivid pictures of life in France, stories that stretched far beyond classrooms and degrees.

For Sultan Sunmola, co-founder and CEO of Robo Nish Technologies and alumnus of INSEAD, France taught him the power of discipline, punctuality and trust.

“When you talk about France, you talk about science, you talk about keeping to time, you talk about respect for values,” he said during the panel session.

“Everybody can make money in whatever way. But what everybody wouldn’t do are the minor things that we tend to overlook. Are your words your word? Are you punctual? Do people trust you enough to do business with you? The French hold these values very dear.”

For Sunmola, those seemingly simple cultural habits became tools for breaking business and geographical barriers.

“Your word has to be your word. Keeping to time is sacrosanct. When you stand in the midst of people and you hold these values, you stand out,” he said.

His six-month stay in Fontainebleau while studying at INSEAD exposed him to an entirely different social system, one that challenged and refined him.

“I learned the assertiveness of the French, that if you want something, you ask for it and you are not intimidated,” he said.

“There is time for everything. Time to work, time to eat, time to rest. It taught me to respect my own time and the time of others.”

Yet beyond structure and discipline, he also found warmth and support.

“There are worries and fears about going to France, but they are not as significant as they may seem,” he said.

“The French government provides financial support to immigrant students and the people around you genuinely want to help.”

That same sense of discovery echoed in the story of Henry Eze, an alumnus of Audencia Business School, who explained how France fundamentally changed the way he thinks.

“A lot would have been missing from my life if I didn’t go to France,” he said.

“France opened my mind back to learning and absorbing things.”

Though he studied food and agribusiness, Eze now works in technology consulting — a transition he credits to the problem-solving mindset he developed abroad.

“France helped me to understand value chains and processes,” he explained.

“Technology is about processes and solutions. Because I learned how systems work, I can now walk into a company, identify pain points and create solutions.”

He also laughed while recalling one of his earliest culture shocks.

“The first time I wanted to open a bank account, they told me to take a rendezvous, an appointment,” he said.

“I had my money with me, but they said come back with an appointment. That culture of structure and communication became part of me.”

For many attendees, perhaps the most relatable conversations revolved around fears of language barriers and adapting to life abroad.

But alumni repeatedly reassured aspiring students that openness and curiosity mattered more than perfection.

Ini Obong Antaih recalled arriving in France and quickly learning how to navigate unfamiliar train systems, cultures and languages.

“When I got to Paris, I automatically became a direction expert,” she said with laughter.

“I knew the train stations and directions so quickly.”

Her memories flowed from the glittering Eiffel Tower to boat cruises on the Seine River, visits to the Louvre Museum and adventures across Europe.

“I saw the Mona Lisa. Everybody was squeezing to see it,” she recalled excitedly.

“But beyond tourism, France gave me confidence.”

Antaih said she deliberately embraced French lessons before and during her studies.

“You have to be open-minded,” she advised.

“French is a powerful language and an added advantage in your career.”

Now working with Lafarge, she said her French experience became an unexpected professional advantage.

“When I told my colleagues I studied in France and speak French, they were impressed,” she said.

“It immediately created trust and connection.”

For Grace Tolu Ojo, studying in France opened doors she never imagined possible.

She now works with the Nigerian American Football Association after discovering flag football during a lecture in France.

“That one class changed my career path,” she said.

Her French experience also led her to volunteer at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she worked in event and crowd management.

“It made me very efficient,” she added.

“In France, professors can give you a topic and expect a presentation in 30 minutes. That pressure taught me time management and professionalism.”

The event itself reflected France’s growing educational relationship with Nigeria.

Deputy Head of Cultural Cooperation at the Embassy of France in Nigeria, Pierre Andriamampianina, said Nigerian students continue to distinguish themselves internationally.

“Nigerian students are always among the best students,” he said.

“They are consistently in the top ten of their classes.”

He stressed that the goal was not simply increasing numbers but nurturing motivated students capable of returning home to create impact.

“It is possible to succeed abroad and return with new skills, new competencies and a new vision,” he said.

“Nigeria is seen as a country of opportunity.”

As conversations continued across the venue, one message remained consistent: studying abroad is no longer simply about escaping home in search of greener pastures.

For many of the alumni gathered in Lagos, France became a place where ambition met structure, where culture met innovation and where young Nigerians discovered versions of themselves they never knew existed.

And perhaps that was the true spirit of France Alumni Day, not merely celebrating degrees earned overseas, but celebrating the quiet transformation of people bold enough to leave home, learn differently and return prepared to build something bigger than themselves.

By Queen Phillips

France Alumni Day celebrates Nigerian talents, global opportunities

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