Abuja, Sept. 16, 2025- The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Secondary Education Board has commissioned the 14th Chinese corner to strengthen cultural and educational ties between Nigeria and China.
The corner which was commissioned on Tuesday at Government Secondary School Tudun Wada, Abuja was organised by the China Cultural Center in Abuja and donated by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (Ccecc) in Nigeria.
Mr Yang Jianxing, the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy in said that the initiative, which began in 2013 with the first Chinese Corner at GSS Garki, has grown into a network of cultural hubs across the FCT.
He also noted that the corner serves as a platform for learning Mandarin, accessing scholarship opportunities in China, and deepening people-to-people exchanges.
“Chinese Corner was more than a classroom, describing it as “a link connecting Chinese and Nigerian cultures, a bridge narrowing the hearts of young people from the two countries.
“Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Whether it is participating in China-Nigeria economic and trade exchanges in the future, furthering studies in Chinese universities, or exploring science, technology and culture, mastering Chinese can add more possibilities to your future.”
Yang also expressed appreciation to CCECC Nigeria Ltd., which donated and constructed the new Corner.
He said the company had not only contributed to Nigeria’s infrastructure but also repaid society through social responsibility projects.
“As one of the earliest Chinese-funded enterprises rooted in Nigeria, CCECC is not only a participant in Nigeria’s infrastructure construction, but also a practitioner of China-Nigeria friendship,” he said.
Dr Danlami Hayyo, Secretary for Education, FCT, said the Corners had opened new opportunities for students and staff to gain global exposure.
“Our staff and teachers, too, have benefitted from the collaboration by attending capacity building in China. Today we are proud to say that it is the only FCT that has Chinese Corners in its schools in the whole federation,” he said.
Hayyo also noted that Chinese language had recently been included as an international language option in the senior secondary school curriculum.
“This shows the foresight of the FCT in introducing the subject through the Corners early enough,” he added.
Dr Muhammed Ladan, Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board, described the new facility as “a cultural and educational hub, established to foster deeper ties between Nigeria and China.”
He thanked the Chinese Embassy and CCECC for their “conscious effort” in executing corporate social responsibility projects that benefit Nigerian schools.
“Your contribution to our cultural and educational development is written in gold in our annals of history. We are grateful,” Ladan said.
The Director of Corporate Culture Department at CCECC, Zane Peng, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s development.
“CCECC Nigeria Limited is a construction company in Nigeria, and we should do more construction and contribute to the development of Nigeria. That means the China and Nigeria partnership is better than before,” he said.
In her remarks, the Principal of GSS Tudun Wada, Mrs. Irene Akerele, lauded the gesture, noting that the facility would provide students with an opportunity to learn Mandarin and deepen their appreciation of Chinese culture.
“We are very pleased with this gesture of appreciating students in this school, enabling us to come and learn the Chinese language is a symbol of a bilateral relationship between the Chinese and Nigerians, and its foster unity among us that makes us one of the Chinese Corner schools in FCT with this new innovation.
“You can see from the center, you will notice that everything here is purely Chinese, and as such, the students will get acquainted with the drawings, the paintings, and the books that are donated to the school.
“And the Chinese center trains teachers. So we believe that very soon, we are going to have a teacher trained to come and put us through the learning of this language here.
The highlight of the event were cultural dance by the students.(NAN)
