Mallam Jibrin Ndace, Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) says the agency will soon commence broadcasting news in Mandarin to promote mutual learning and cultural exchange between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China.
Ndace made the disclosure during a seminar on civilization exchange and mutual learning held at the University of Abuja on Friday.
He noted that the media remains the most important component in promoting civilization exchange and countries must first deepen media collaboration to achieve sustainable and all-inclusive friendship.
“Media is a powerful tool for fostering understanding, countering stereotypes, and bridging civilizations,” Ndace said.
“At VON, we currently broadcast in English, French, Arabic, and Hebrew daily, but we are expanding our reach. We recognize the significance of China’s role both in Africa and globally. We have initiated discussions with the Chinese embassy to start broadcasting in Mandarin, as communicating in the language of the people is vital for cultural and civilization exchanges,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai said the University of Abuja has expressed interest in establishing a Confucius Institute to foster people-to-people exchanges between Nigeria and China.
Ambassador Yu revealed that Vice-Chancellor Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi conveyed her desire to establish the Institute when he paid her a courtesy visit.
He noted that the institute would play a pivotal role in enhancing cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria. He stressed that high-level people-to-people exchanges are fundamental to the China-Nigeria relationship, which has been solidified through a comprehensive strategic partnership established during the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.
“Civilization exchange lays the groundwork for people-to-people interactions, which are essential for fostering strong country-to-country relations,” Yu stated.
Other speakers including Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim and Professor Zhao Yuezhi, emphasized the importance of mutual exchange in promoting harmony between nations.
Raphael Oni, the organizer of the seminar, in collaboration with Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication and the University of Abuja’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, noted that the event was designed to strengthen mutual exchange and cooperation between China and Nigeria.
The event was attended by academic scholars, researchers, members of the diplomatic community, and students from both countries.
