President Akufo-Addo has revealed that his government intends to transform Ghana into a bilingual state.

In a report by Citnewsroom, the president said adding French to English as the official languages of Ghana is his government’s goal.

According to the president, the government has already introduced a bilingual classroom project at the basic education level, where certain subjects are taught in both English and French.

He added that the study of French is being made compulsory at the basic level of Ghana’s educational system.

This, the president said, would strengthen Ghana’s co-operation with la Francophonie.

Akufo-Addo reportedly made this revelation at the 17th Summit of Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie in Armenia on Friday, October 12, 2018.

“Our goal is to live, one day, in a bilingual Ghana that is English and French, together with our own indigenous languages. We have already begun to work towards this. On 15th May, 2018, I authorized the signature of a language pact with La Francophonie, towards helping to make this a reality,” he said.

The president explained further that Ghana, which finds herself between three francophone countries and the Atlantic Ocean, has the lives of its citizens intimately linked to that of the francophone world.

He was optimistic that Ghana’s membership of La Francophonie would serve as a big boost to addressing some of the country’s mutual concerns.

“As a country bordered to the north, east and west by French-speaking countries, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana recognises the strategic importance of her immediate neighbours, to whom we are bound by profound ties of blood, geography and history, and, indeed, of all French speaking countries, to the development of our country,” the president said.

According to him, after he had personally led Ghana as a Foreign Affairs Minister in 2006 to become an associate member of la Francophonie, he believes Ghana is now ready and determined to transition from an Associate Member of la Francophonie to a Full Member.

“Ghana, an anglophone nation, is only one of a handful of countries that enjoy membership of both the Commonwealth and La Francophonie, and we value this situation very much…That is why we are determined to strengthen the bonds of friendship and co-operation with la Francophonie, by transitioning from an Associate Member to a Full Member," the president announced.

While advocating for increased trade and investment among member countries, Akufo-Addo said with the help of digital technology, la francophonie can assist to create more jobs for the country’s youth.

He emphasized his government’s willingness to make Ghana a bilingual state a reality, calling on La Francophonie for assistance.