Nigeria to Expand Chinese Language Education in Schools

The Federal Capital Territory Education Secretariat says it plans to expand Chinese-language education in public schools to strengthen educational and cultural exchanges between Nigeria and China.

Joy Okeke, Permanent Secretary of the secretariat, disclosed the plan on Friday at the 19th and 25th Nigeria divisions of the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary Schools and College Students, held in Abuja.

Okeke described language as a vital tool for communication, cultural transmission, commerce and international cooperation.

“It is highly commendable that the Chinese Embassy, with its 5,000 years of civilisation and over 200 million learners of Mandarin worldwide, is promoting the language up to secondary school level, particularly in the FCT,” she said.

“We are on our part putting all necessary things in order to fully commence the learning of the Chinese language in our schools.”

Okeke noted that FCT schools remain the only public secondary schools in Nigeria with established Chinese Corners.

At these corners, students engage in Chinese language learning, Wushu, cultural dances, lion dances, arts and crafts, and other exchange activities.

She commended the Chinese Embassy for the mutually beneficial partnership and urged students to maximise the opportunities provided through Chinese language education.

Yang Jianxing, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre, said the Chinese Bridge competition had become an important platform for educational and cultural exchanges between both countries.

Yang added that the Chinese language offers learners access to China’s rich civilisation, literature, history and cultural heritage.

“The Chinese language is a key to the treasure house of Chinese civilisation,” he said.

“It carries the poetic beauty of classical literature, the wisdom embedded in idioms and historical allusions, and the profound heritage of thousands of years of history.

“You are all in the prime of your youth, and your choice to learn Chinese and step onto the ‘Chinese Bridge’ stage is itself an act of courage and commitment.”

Yang noted that 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Nigeria and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

He said the Chinese Embassy and the China Cultural Centre would continue supporting Confucius Institutes and Chinese language classrooms while creating more opportunities for youth exchanges.

“We will actively build platforms for youth exchanges between the two countries and continue holding diverse cultural events so that more Nigerian young people can carry the torch of China-Nigeria friendship into the next generation,” he said.