Why More Francophone African Universities Are Adding English-Taught Programs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Education Planning
Universities across Francophone Africa are adding English-taught bachelor's and master's tracks alongside their French-medium programs, driven by demand for global job mobility and competition for students who might otherwise study in Anglophone countries.
🎓 Global English-taught program numbers grew 22 percent since 2021, with much of that growth coming from destinations outside the historically Anglophone countries.
📩 UK universities are actively recruiting French-speaking African students, pushing Francophone universities at home to compete by adding English options.
🏠 Institutions such as the International University of Grand Bassam in Ivory Coast operate primarily in English while based in a Francophone country.
⏱️ CAMES accreditation still runs on the French-language academic model, so English-taught programs at CAMES-linked universities need to fit that same quality framework.
A Shift Toward English on Francophone Campuses
Universities in French-speaking African countries are opening English-medium bachelor's and master's tracks next to their traditional French-language programs. The shift follows a global pattern: English-taught program numbers worldwide grew 22 percent since 2021, with growth increasingly driven by countries outside the traditionally Anglophone destinations, according to industry coverage of Studyportals, IELTS and British Council data .
What Is Driving the Change
Employers across sectors like technology, finance and international development increasingly expect graduates to work comfortably in English, regardless of where they studied. For students in Francophone Africa, an English-taught degree at home can open the same job market that used to require studying abroad in an Anglophone country. Universities have noticed this pressure and are responding by building English tracks rather than losing strong students to competitor systems entirely.
Competition for African students has intensified from the Anglophone side too. UK universities have started actively recruiting French-speaking African students , offering foundation years and English-language support to bring them in despite the language gap. French universities have begun a similar push in the opposite direction, according to separate reporting on French institutions courting English-speaking African students . Domestic Francophone universities face pressure from both directions: keep strong students at home by offering what they want, or watch them leave for a fully Anglophone degree.
Examples on the Ground
Some institutions did not wait for a trend to form. The International University of Grand Bassam in Ivory Coast operates primarily in English despite being based in a French-speaking country, producing graduates who move into Anglophone job markets or graduate schools. Elsewhere, individual faculties at established Francophone universities have added English-medium sections for business, engineering or international relations degrees, often aimed at students planning to work with multinational employers or pursue further study in Anglophone countries.
The Accreditation Question
Adding English-medium instruction does not remove a university from the French-language academic quality framework it operates under. Most Francophone African universities' degrees carry weight because of CAMES accreditation, the regional body that evaluates programs across mostly Francophone member states. English-taught programs at CAMES-linked universities still need to meet that same accreditation process, since the language of instruction is separate from the quality standard the credential relies on. Universities adding English tracks are generally building on existing accredited programs rather than creating unaccredited new ones.
What It Means for Students
An English-taught option at a Francophone university lets students keep the lower cost and closer-to-home advantages of studying domestically while gaining a credential that reads more easily to employers and graduate programs outside French-speaking Africa. Before enrolling, confirm the specific program carries the same CAMES or national accreditation as its French-medium equivalent, and ask how much of daily campus life, from administration to informal instruction, still happens in French. A degree taught in English at a Francophone university does not always mean fully English-language campus life.