The Chinese Embassy in Abuja, in partnership with the FCT Secondary Education Board on Tuesday, at Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, marked the 13th “Chinese Corner” Inauguration Ceremony and “Nihao China” Painting Competition Award Ceremony.
The ceremony was graced by His Excellency, Yu Dunhai, the Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Mrs Josephine Ogwu, the Principal of Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Dr Muhammed Sani Ladan, Director/Secretary, FCT Secondary Education Board, Mr Martin Chen, Chairman of China Harbour Engineering Company (NIG) LTD and the Principals of the 13 Chinese Corners, among others.
In his opening address, His Excellency, Yu Dunhai, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, noted that over the past 10 years, under the cooperation of the Chinese Embassy and the FCT Secondary School Board, they have built several Chinese Corners around Abuja.
“After I arrived here, I noticed that this is a wonderful Chinese Corner. It is equipped with computers, with Chinese books and Chinese movies. And I am very happy to learn that over the years, many students have benefited from the Chinese Corner”, he said.
Ambassador Yu Dunhai also. Observed that education remains the key to the development of any country.”China would very much like to partner with Nigeria in the educational sector. During President Tinubu’s recent successful visit to China, both Presidents reached a very significant agreement to elevate our bilateral relations to new heights. And among this very important consensus is to increase the high-level education exchanges between our two countries”, he stated.
Mrs Josephine Ogwu, the Principal of Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, during her welcome remark, said that China’s friendly relationships with Nigeria date back to 1971 and have been enhanced by the vital role of culture and education in promoting effective relationships between nations.
“The cultural centre, which creates a platform for educational and cultural exchange between Nigeria and China, will broaden the global perspective of our students and expose them to the world beyond our borders, forging tolerance and building global citizens”, she said. Meanwhile, she also noted that she believes the Chinese Cultural Centre will contribute meaningfully towards people-to-people diplomacy.
“We hope that the Chinese Cultural Centre contribute meaningfully towards people-to-people diplomacy while providing educational and artistic opportunities and fostering a sense of community among people from diverse backgrounds”.