The China Movie Channel (CMC) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) have signed a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening content exchange, co-production, professional training and cultural ties between Nigeria and China.
The agreement was signed on Friday at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja during the China-Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium and Signing Ceremony of the CMC-NTA Cooperation Agreement.
The ceremony brought together senior officials and stakeholders from Nigeria and China’s film, television, broadcasting and literary sectors, marking what participants described as a new chapter in creative cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said the agreement would create an important platform for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Nigeria.
Yu said literature and film have played an important role in documenting human history, social transformation and the aspirations of societies, noting that both China and Nigeria possess rich literary and cinematic traditions.
He highlighted the contributions of renowned Nigerian writers including Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as Chinese authors such as Mo Yan, Yu Hua and Mai Jia, to the literary heritage of their respective countries.
The ambassador also noted the strength of the two countries’ film industries, pointing out that China has more than 93,000 cinema screens and produces over 700 films annually, while Nigeria’s Nollywood produces more than 2,000 films each year.
According to him, Chinese and Nigerian films have increasingly provided audiences in both countries with opportunities to understand each other’s cultures, societies and national experiences.
He said the CMC-NTA agreement would provide a vital platform for expanding such exchanges, while the accompanying symposium would allow professionals from both countries to discuss the role of literature and film in telling the stories of their peoples.
The Director-General of NTA, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, described the agreement as more than a formal signing, saying it represented the beginning of a promising new chapter in the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and China.
Dembos said film, television and literature were powerful instruments for preserving history, promoting identity, transmitting values and enabling societies to understand one another beyond geographical and linguistic boundaries.
He said Nigeria’s vibrant creative industry, cultural diversity and abundance of talent, combined with China’s experience in creative production, technological innovation and content distribution, presented enormous opportunities for both countries.
According to him, the agreement will provide a platform for content co-production, programme exchange, professional training, technology transfer and wider distribution of Nigerian and Chinese creative works. It will also create opportunities for filmmakers, writers, broadcasters and young creative talents from both countries to collaborate, acquire new skills and reach wider audiences.
Dembos said the partnership aligns with NTA’s ongoing transformation into a modern, competitive and digitally driven public broadcaster, stressing that the authority remains committed to telling authentic Nigerian and African stories and building bridges of friendship across the world.
He urged both parties to ensure that the agreement produces practical and measurable outcomes, including quality joint productions, enhanced professional capacity, technological innovation and programmes that deepen understanding between Nigerians and Chinese.
Also speaking, Cui Binzhen, Editor-in-Chief of China Movie Channel, said the signing marked a new beginning for film and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Cui said the agreement would establish a regular cooperation mechanism between CMC and NTA and further promote in-depth film and cultural exchanges.
He described the event as timely, particularly as Nigeria and China mark 55 years of diplomatic relations, noting that the initiative draws on the rich cinematic and literary resources of both countries.
Cui explained that China Movie Channel, a national-level film broadcasting platform, has global reach and extensive experience in promoting Chinese cinema internationally.
He said the channel, which has operated for about 30 years, has introduced and broadcast more than 10,000 films from China and organised China Film Weeks in more than 50 countries.
He added that CMC would use film and television as a medium to further explore and tell stories of friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and China.
The signing ceremony formed part of the broader China-Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium, which also featured discussions on the role of literature and film in reflecting contemporary society and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.
