Emmanuel Macron has pledged to make French the most spoken language in the world, reports The Independent.
Speaking to students in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, the French president said his native tongue would "be the first language of Africa" and "perhaps of the world."
Mr Macron, who is currently on a tour of west African nations added that it should not be viewed as a “relic of a colonial power”.
He said: “It is not just a heritage to be protected. It has a future and this future is playing out in. The radiance, the attractiveness of French does not just belong to France.”
French is spoken by 274 million people worldwide, making it the fifth most-spoken language.
Mr Macron embarked on the three-day regional tour to boost relations with his country's former colonies and boost co-operation on issues including migration, terrorism and human rights.