Voice of Nigeria (VON) has launched its Mandarin Service as its ninth broadcast language, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria-China relations, promoting cultural understanding and expanding Nigeria’s international media presence.
The service was formally launched on Thursday at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, with representatives of the Chinese Embassy, Voice of Nigeria, the Nigeria Press Council and other stakeholders in attendance.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre, Mr Yang Jianxing, described the China-Nigeria Bridge radio programme as an important platform for promoting friendship and mutual understanding between China and Africa.
He said the programme, jointly initiated by the Chinese Embassy, Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau and Voice of Nigeria, with the China Cultural Centre as a supporting partner, commenced broadcasting on September 2, 2026.
Yang disclosed that ten episodes had so far been broadcast, combining Chinese language lessons with news coverage of China-Africa cooperation to promote cultural exchanges and provide audiences across Africa with opportunities to learn Mandarin and understand developments in China-Africa relations.
He commended the management of Voice of Nigeria for its commitment to strengthening people-to-people exchanges, noting that the programme would help deepen friendship between the peoples of China and Africa and build public support for practical cooperation.
He expressed the hope that the China-Nigeria Bridge programme would inspire more young Africans to learn Chinese and become ambassadors of China-Africa friendship.
Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, said the introduction of Mandarin as VON’s ninth broadcast language was a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s international media presence and connecting the country with more than one billion Mandarin speakers worldwide.
Represented by the Director of General Services, Malam Danladi Abdulkarim, Ndace said the service would project Nigeria’s culture, music, tourism, business opportunities and values to Chinese audiences while promoting mutual understanding and supporting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Nigeria and China.
Ndace recalled that the initiative followed the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing and subsequent engagements between VON, the Chinese Embassy and other media organisations.
He highlighted the training of 26 Nigerian journalists, including five from Voice of Nigeria, in Beijing in April 2026, as well as the signing of agreements with Xinhua News Agency and the Chinese Embassy covering content exchange, staff training, broadcasting capacity development, cultural exchanges and efforts to combat misinformation.
The Director-General added that the Mandarin Service would provide an important platform for ensuring that Nigerians and Chinese audiences receive credible, balanced and accurate information about each other’s countries.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Press Council, Dilli Ezughah, commended the initiative, describing it as a demonstration of the importance of cultural diplomacy, media collaboration and people-to-people engagement in strengthening relations between nations.
He noted that the programme’s ambition to reach audiences across all 54 African countries elevated it beyond a bilateral media partnership, providing an opportunity to deepen cultural understanding across the continent.
The launch comes as Nigeria and China mark 55 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, a year also designated the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
The Mandarin Service is expected to provide a new platform for projecting Nigeria to Chinese-speaking audiences, strengthening media cooperation and promoting mutual understanding between Nigeria, China and the wider African continent.
