Monday, November 10, 2025 - Yang Jianxing, Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria (CCCN) says culture and creativity are the foundation of national development and the driving force of social progress.
Yang said this at the 13th China-Nigeria Culture Fiesta 2025
Dancing Competition and award ceremony of the “China-Nigeria Friendship” on
Saturday in Abuja.
According to him, the event is aimed at promoting cultural
exchange between China and Nigeria.
Organized by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Secondary
Education Board (SEB), the fiesta aims at enhancing people-to-people
communication between both countries.
Yang also highlighted the significance of the event in
fostering cultural exchange and nurturing internationally-minded students.
“This event is not only a platform for promoting friendship
between China and Nigeria, but also a vivid demonstration of the close
cooperation between our two countries in culture and education,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of cultural education in
shaping young minds and broadening horizons.
“Culture is the foundation of national development and the
driving force of social progress. China and Nigeria are cultural giants with a
long history.
“This fiesta aims to enable people to understand Chinese
culture and its people to promote China-Nigeria friendship,” the envoy said.
He added that culture had played an important role in the
historical process of the two countries’ national independence and
revitalisation.
Yang commended the students for their dedication to
mastering dance routines and creating imaginative artworks.
The envoy noted that the heart and passion behind each
performance were as important as their technical skills.
“When the music starts and you begin to dance, you are not
just showing technique, but also your understanding and love for the cultures
of both countries,” he said.
The drawing competition showcased a wide array of creative
expressions, from contemporary cartoon illustrations to artistic depictions of
China-Nigeria friendship.
Yang praised the youthful imagination on display, noting
that even small imperfections reflected the students’ pure and heartfelt vision
for the future.
He added that the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, and the
Cultural Centre had been working with the FCT SEB to jointly hold the annual
China-Nigeria Cultural Fiesta.
Dr Mohammed Ladan, Director/Secretary, FCT SEB, expressed
his appreciation to the Cultural Counselor and the Chinese Embassy for
sponsoring the event annually and providing prizes to the schools.
Ladan said that the event had been going on annually for
more than a decade.
“The event showcases Nigerian and Chinese arts in the form
of dances, thereby, promoting cultural exchange between the duo and the 12
Chinese Corner Students.
“Our collaboration has been of mutual benefit and we look
forward to more beneficial cooperation,” he said.
Ladan also said the SEB would continue to promote Chinese
culture in FCT schools and Nigeria as a whole to improve cultural exchange in
Nigeria-China’s 51 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight
of the event was the dancing competition among 12 public secondary schools in
Abuja.
This was done in two main categories – the Chinese dance and
the Nigerian dance.
NAN reports that cash prizes, which included 200,000 naira,150,000-naira,
100,000 naira and 50,000, were given to various winners of the drawing
competition.
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